Israel's Ben-Gvir threatens again to topple government over Gaza ceasefire proposal

Itamar Ben-Gvir

03 June 2024; MEMO: A far-right Israeli coalition partner accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday of trying to “whitewash” a deal to wind down the Gaza war that is being advanced by US President Joe Biden, and repeated a threat to quit the government, Reuters reported.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir told his parliamentary faction that Netanyahu invited him to read the proposal but the premier’s aides twice failed to produce the document.

He said if Netanyahu signs “a reckless deal that will bring an end to the war without the collapse of Hamas, Otzma Yehudit [his party] will dissolve the government.”

READ: Israel’s Lapid offers ‘safety net’ for Netanyahu to pass hostage swap deal with Hamas

Today, an Israeli government spokesperson quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that Biden, in advancing a plan to wind down the Gaza war, had published only some of the details.

“The war will be stopped for the purpose of returning hostages and then we will proceed with other discussions,” spokesperson David Mencer quoted Netanyahu as saying, in what appeared a reiteration of Israel’s refusal to call off the bombing campaign in Gaza