Netanyahu Faces Political Setback with Resignation of Ultra-Orthodox Partner 'Jewish Power'

The implementation of the ceasefire has led to the breakup of the Israeli government coalition. The ultra-nationalist party 'Jewish Power' has exited the government, fulfilling its threat made on Friday in protest against the agreement with Hamas in Gaza. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relies on this party and Religious Zionism, both far-right, he will still retain the majority needed to remain in office.

The National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, and Negev, Galilee, and National Resilience Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf submitted their resignation letters this Sunday. In a letter to Netanyahu, Ben Gvir stated that the commitment to the Islamist militia is a 'surrender to terrorism' agreement by the Prime Minister, crossing all red lines. Additionally, three party deputies, Zvika Fogel, Limor Son Har-Melech, and Yitzhak Kroize, have resigned from the committees they were part of. Thus, 'from this moment, the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party will not be a member of the coalition,' the party declared in a statement.

Their departure reduces Netanyahu's coalition majority in Parliament to 62 or 63 seats, down from the 68 it previously held. Therefore, it retains a majority, but a very slim one considering the Knesset consists of 120 members. The agreement with Hamas also deeply irritates the remaining ultra-ally, but for now, Religious Zionism has decided to stay by the Prime Minister's side. However, it imposes a very difficult condition for the head of government: to eliminate Hamas.

In his resignation letter, Ben Gvir claims that the cabinet has made 'significant achievements under his leadership,' but believes the ceasefire represents a 'surrender to terrorism' that crosses all ideological red lines. 'It is a complete victory for terrorism,' writes the former minister, warning that he will not rejoin a government 'without a complete victory over Hamas and the full realization of the war's objectives.' The leader of Jewish Power clarifies, in any case, that 'we have no intention of working to overthrow the government,' but will vote on all these issues according to 'our conscience.'

The list of resignations does not include Almog Cohen, a Jewish Power deputy who is somewhat of a maverick and has recently broken party discipline several times. In this case, he is the only member of the party who voted in favor of the Israel-Hamas agreement during the government meeting on Saturday. 'There is no good agreement with the devil; it was a devil before and will remain a devil after the agreement. But there is no other option because the devil is the one who kidnapped our brothers,' he emphasized. Cohen is now awaiting his party's decision on whether to keep him or expel him from its ranks.

Within the government, there is a sense of unease. The uncertainty about the future of the ceasefire sows anxiety. The first to express this was the Foreign Affairs Minister, Gideon Sa'ar, who warned of the risk of Hamas retaking control of the Strip. A new government by the Islamist organization 'is not only a danger to Israel's security but also a nightmare for the Palestinians themselves. If it remains in power, the regional instability it causes could continue,' he added.

In a much more aggressive tone, the radical Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister, has urged the creation of a 'military government' in Gaza and called for the army to occupy this territory to prevent the reconstruction of the armed militia. 'There is no other way to defeat Hamas,' said the leader of the ultra-party Religious Zionism, a partner in Netanyahu's government coalition. Now that Jewish Power is out of the alliance, Smotrich's words have become indispensable. He has threatened to 'overthrow the government if it does not fight in a way that leads us to take control of the entire Strip'; statements that raise doubts about the current government's durability.