Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now seen as the main obstacle to a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement—so says Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan. On Saturday, he openly demanded Netanyahu’s resignation, stating, “To save lives and protect the country, this government must immediately step down.”
Golan claimed that a recent investigative report by the influential American newspaper The New York Times proves that Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir have repeatedly sabotaged prospects of prisoner release and ceasefire for their own political survival.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Democratic Party leader Golan wrote, “Netanyahu and his far-right cabinet members are the ones obstructing this deal. The lives of soldiers and hostages are less important to them than preserving their ministerial posts and positions.”
He further said, “Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben Gvir represent an extremist minority group that is dragging the entire nation into a brutal hell. They are repeatedly undermining peace efforts to maintain their political existence.”
Golan’s harsh remarks came at a time when The New York Times, in its investigative report, revealed that the decision to prolong the Gaza war was primarily political. The report states that Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition partners have chosen to prolong the war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza as a strategy to retain their power and public support.
Meanwhile, on Saturday night, thousands of people protested in Israel’s capital, Tel Aviv, demanding swift implementation of the prisoner exchange agreement. The protesters called for an immediate end to the war and the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Analysts believe that public anger and pressure against Netanyahu’s government are rising significantly.
