Netanyahu rejects an American call to hold elections, and his government is threatened with collapse

Netanyahu said that holding early elections would mean Israel losing the (European) war.

Today, Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected an American call to hold early elections, and pledged to continue the war on Gaza and the invasion of Rafah, at a time when the worsening differences within the Israeli government threaten its collapse.

In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu commented on the severe criticism directed at him by the leader of the Democratic majority in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, last Thursday. Schumer called - in a speech to Congress - for new elections in Israel and described the Israeli Prime Minister as an obstacle. In front of peace, US President Joe Payne later praised his speech and described it as good.

Netanyahu described Schumer's speech on Israel as inappropriate, considering it unacceptable to try to replace the elected leadership in a "brotherly democratic country."

He said that Israel would suffer 6 months of paralysis if early elections were held before the end of the war, and that this would mean losing the war, considering that Israel's loss of the war would also be a loss for the United States.

He continued that the majority of Israelis support the government and its policies, including entering Rafah and destroying the remaining Hamas brigades, and realize that the Palestinian state will pose a tremendous threat to Israel's future.

In the same interview, conducted with him by CNN, the Israeli Prime Minister described Hamas' demands regarding a ceasefire and prisoner exchange as strange and difficult to reach an agreement.

But he said that his government would continue to work to release the "hostages," adding that the only thing pushing Hamas to return them is military pressure.

Hamas had presented to the mediators in Egypt and Qatar a detailed proposal to reach a ceasefire agreement and exchange of prisoners in 3 stages.

Tel Aviv described the proposal as unrealistic, but decided to send the head of a delegation to Doha to negotiate a possible agreement.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister said at the beginning of the weekly cabinet session that his government would not yield to international pressure to stop the war and not launch a military operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

A government threatened with collapse

Meanwhile, disagreements are escalating within the Israeli government and war council, while accusations are being made against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of giving priority to his political reconciliation over the issue of recovering prisoners detained in Gaza.

On Sunday, Maariv newspaper quoted sources as saying that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich spoke of a high possibility of the fall of Netanyahu’s government due to the conscription law or the inclusion of New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar in it.

The newspaper also quoted an Israeli minister as saying that the worsening crisis within the ruling coalition may bring down the right-wing government due to the whims and interests of its members.

According to the same newspaper, estimates in the political apparatus indicate that the Prime Minister has fallen into trouble due to the warning issued to him by Minister Without Portfolio Gideon Saar.

In the context of the escalating disputes within the Israeli government, the newspaper "Israel Today" said that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked a new storm in today's government session, as he told Netanyahu angrily during today's government session that he is the boss of Defense Minister Yoav Galant, and the latter should not be left to do what he does. Wants.

Other Israeli media reported that Ben Gvir attacked Gallant's behavior and said that he was following an independent policy, after the Defense Minister held a separate meeting regarding the recovery of prisoners detained in Gaza.

For his part, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid - through his account on the "X" platform (formerly Twitter) - addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the memory of the Israelis is not short, but under his leadership they will lose the war and will not return what he called "the kidnappers."

Lapid said that the elections are now the only way to strengthen the Israeli army, recruit religious Jews (Haredim), and rebuild relations with the Americans.

Yesterday evening, Saturday, Tel Aviv witnessed large demonstrations demanding new elections and a prisoner exchange deal.

Source: Al Jazeera