President Joe Biden is supporting a rebellion against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration inside the cabinet over post-war Gaza’s destiny, following Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s open declaration of opposition to prolonged Israeli control over the territory.
Gallant declared in a surprise broadcast speech that he supported non-terrorist Palestinian authority in Gaza with assistance from Arab states, and that he was against both civilian and Israeli military control in Gaza following Hamas.
Gallant stated (translation courtesy of Israel’s Government Press Office):
“Political action must coincide with the conclusion of the military war.” The “day after Hamas” will not come until Palestinian organizations seize control of Gaza and work with outside parties to create a government that will replace Hamas’. Above all, the State of Israel is interested in this. Regrettably, no one discussed this matter or offered a substitute. In the end, indecision is a decision; continuing down this hazardous path advances the notion of Israeli military and civilian rule in Gaza.”
“I must emphasize once more that I will not consent to the installation of Israeli military control in Gaza.” Israel must refrain from imposing civilian governance in Gaza. The IDF and the military establishment bear the task of deconstructing Hamas and maintaining complete operational independence in the Gaza Strip; nevertheless, this is contingent upon the installation of an alternative administration in Gaza, which is the duty of the Israeli government and all of its branches. Its execution will influence Israel’s security for many years to come. “I implore Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make the decision and declare that Israel will not impose military rule over the Gaza Strip, that it will not establish civilian control over the Gaza Strip, and that it will promptly propose a governing alternative to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.”
The Biden administration praised Gallant’s comments since it has been advocating for Palestinian Authority governance in Gaza following the conflict in order to create a Palestinian state. According to The Times of Israel:
“The Biden administration supports Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s request that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu move forward with developing a plan for Gaza’s post-conflict governance.”
“We are concerned, as is the defense minister, that Israel has not made any arrangements to retain and control the region the IDF liberates, leaving it open to Hamas’s resurgence. Our goal is to see Hamas defeated; therefore, this is concerning,” stated a senior Biden administration official in a statement to The Times of Israel. “Netanyahu has talked about an idealized future for Gaza, one in which Palestinians would control trade and commerce but not official statehood. The Israeli government responded to a Breitbart News inquiry prior to Gallant’s address on Wednesday, stating that official preparations for “the day after” had to wait until Hamas’ defeat.
In a speech he gave on Wednesday in response to Gallant’s, Netanyahu himself said that he would not permit Gaza, the old “Hamastan,” to turn into “Fatahstan,” a reference to the political organization in charge of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
(As reported on Tuesday by Breitbart News, which cited Israel’s Channel 7, Fatah asserts that it was involved in the October 7 incident, and the Palestinian Authority keeps funding and applauding terror.)
In the meantime, far-right lawmakers called for Gallant’s dismissal from the administration. The primary opponent of Netanyahu, Benny Gantz, who co-chairs an interim government of national unity with the prime minister, supported Gallant, while opposition leader Yair Lapid declared that the government had collapsed.
Prominent conservative voices, including former brigadier general Amir Avivi, are reportedly rebuking Gallant and Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, urging the civilian administration to develop an after-Gaza plan.
Avivi asserted (in Hebrew) that a military defeat of Hamas was a prerequisite for any discussion of postwar governance.
“It will take time to build an alternative. You will have to assume accountability for both the humanitarian crisis and the Gaza Strip. There is nothing you can do about it. But that is not the case right now! We have to triumph now!
Naturally, Hamas asserted that the political unrest indicated that Israel was losing the fight in Gaza and that the terrorists were emerging victorious.
Gallant has already taken aim at Netanyahu in public, most notably in March 2023, when the defense minister voiced his disapproval of Netanyahu’s judicial changes while the prime minister was abroad and street protests were raging.
The White House has backed Netanyahu’s opponents, including Gallant, Gantz, Lapid, and others. The Biden administration’s dissatisfaction with the Israeli raid on Hamas in Rafah, which the United States opposed, may be the reason behind the present situation, which appears to have been entirely unprovoked by any specific event.
While attempting to downplay the situation by asserting that Israel’s operation is not yet a “big” one despite its ongoing expansion, the White House has blocked certain weaponry supplies in response to Israel’s determination to assault Hamas in Rafah, where the terror group’s last battalions are stationed.
According to Breitbart News, the Biden administration, which has opposed the Netanyahu government since its election in November 2022, might back a rumored “color revolution,” which Israel might have to contend with.
