JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to prevent Defense Minister Yoav Galant from traveling to Washington for security consultations with the US administration reflected the depth of internal differences in the Likud party and the instability of the government coalition.

Netanyahu's decision and the intensification of the hidden conflict within the Likud comes in light of the criticism launched by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against Netanyahu and the government's policy of retaliation against rockets fired from the Gaza Strip.

Galant remained silent and refrained from commenting on Netanyahu's decision, to avoid heightened tension and conflicts within the Likud party, whose parliamentary strength is declining in opinion polls, but Ben Gvir, who heads the Jewish Greatness party, escalated the crisis by boycotting Knesset sessions and not voting alongside the government coalition on bills.

Ben Gvir raised the ceiling of his demands from Netanyahu, on the condition that he return to vote in the Knesset with the government coalition to respond to his demands to tighten measures against prisoners, return to the policies of assassinations of the leadership of the Palestinian resistance factions, and launch a large-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.

The hidden internal conflicts in Netanyahu's Likud party add to Ben-Gvir's persistence in his demands, his continued political blackmail of Netanyahu, who granted him powers to establish the National Guard, and the clash with the Haredi parties that are demanding the legislation of the law exempting ultra-Orthodox youth from military service.


Crises and tensions

Bilal Daher, a political analyst specializing in Israeli affairs, said that opinion polls showed that the popularity of Netanyahu and his government is declining, as well as the decline in the parliamentary power of Likud and the Jewish Greatness Party, as one poll indicates that the Likud Party will lose 10 seats in the Knesset if the government disintegrates.

Daher stressed, in his speech to Al Jazeera Net, that the official data of the opinion polls push Netanyahu to overcome crises and dispel tension in the government coalition and not to go to early elections, as he will lose the premiership to the opposition parties.

The specialist in Israeli affairs attributed the internal differences and the crisis of tension between the prime minister and Ben Gvir to the direct and hidden demands directed at Netanyahu by America and Europe, demanding that Ben Gvir be curbed or replaced, by introducing the national camp headed by Benny Gantz and the United List headed by Mansour Abbas to the coalition, a scenario that is addressed in the Israeli political scene, as an alternative to heading for early elections.


Scenarios and surveys

Daher downplayed the success of the scenario of an alternative government coalition, as there is no consensus among Gantz's party to enter a government headed by Netanyahu, and therefore believes that crises and tensions will continue to accompany the government of Netanyahu, who uses his position in order to close the indictment files and reach a settlement formula with the Israeli Public Prosecution, which prevents his trial.

Despite the tensions and government crises, Daher believes that the data indicate that Netanyahu and Ben Gvir are flexing muscles, but without leading to the dismissal of Ben Gvir or his withdrawal from the coalition, to prevent the overthrow of the government and heading to new elections, the biggest loser will be Netanyahu, while Ben Gvir's party may not exceed the decisive percentage, according to some polls.

As for the relationship between Netanyahu and Gallant and his travel ban to Washington, the Israeli affairs specialist believes that this falls within the internal conflicts in the Likud, as Netanyahu wants to take revenge on Galant and his rebellion with his speech against the so-called judicial reform plan, and thus will allow his defense minister in the future to travel to America.

The spokesman explained that Netanyahu wants to show Likud members that he is the master of the situation and the final say, and that the leader remains unchallenged and will not step down and will not retire from politics because of his trial, because he will be closer to the doors of the dock and his trial in corruption files, which is the main issue that determines Netanyahu's approach with members of his party and his partners in the government coalition.


Polarization and conflicts

Despite the cumulative crises within the government coalition and the internal conflict in the Likud, the spokesman for the "Peace Now" bloc, Adam Clear, is unlikely that the coming period will lead to the dismantling of the government coalition, heading to early elections, but he is certain that these files are an indication of further fracture of the coalition.

Claire explained that Netanyahu formed the coalition according to the equation of dependence to blackmail the far-right camp and the religious and Haredi parties, which granted him immunity to avoid prosecution for corruption files, believing that Netanyahu's compass in the government will be according to this equation, which will deepen the rift in Israeli society and polarization in the political scene.

Clear's withdrawal from the ruling coalition four months after the formation of the government, without any significant achievements in the position of Minister of National Security, is a fatal blow to him and his party and may be political suicide, and therefore it will be difficult for Ben Gvir to embark on this adventure.

He likely in his speech to Al Jazeera Net that the damage that may be caused to the person and symbolism of Ben Gvir supporters of the far-right camp, in the event of the dismantling of the government early, will remain accompanying him and will be difficult to overcome and improve and restore his image.


Interests and pressures

He pointed out that the confrontation and the crisis of tension with Netanyahu erupted because of the pressure exerted on Ben Gvir from his supporters, who demand the involvement of the Jewish Greatness party in security issues, and also that the government adopt an iron fist against the Palestinians.

Claire explained that this tension within the government first reflects the crisis of confidence between Netanyahu and Ben Gvir, as it is clear that the prime minister does not believe and does not trust Ben-Gvir, and it is no coincidence that he was not invited to security discussions, despite his position as minister of national security, he simply does not want him there.

Netanyahu considers Ben Gvir to be an extremist and has no intention of sharing sensitive issues with him, and given this approach in government, the question arises as to whether the two will be able to cooperate. "What unites Netanyahu and Ben Gvir is the convergence of interests to stay in power at all costs, and therefore they will return to cooperation until the next explosion and the accumulation of crises," he said.