Netanyahu is ‘not fit’ to lead Israel: Former defense minister

By Abderaouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Friday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is "not the right person to lead the Jewish people."

"Netanyahu is the prime minister, but he is not suited to lead a community like the Israeli society,” Gantz said on X.

"The State of Israel and the Israeli society deserve a different leadership," he added.

Netanyahu has faced intense criticism for his refusal to negotiate a prisoner exchange agreement for Israeli captives in Gaza as well as corruption charges against him.

Over the past few months, the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza have ramped up pressure on Netanyahu’s government to reach an agreement.

Opposition leaders and the families of the captives accuse Netanyahu of blocking the agreement in order to maintain his position in power.

Several far-right ministers, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have threatened to withdraw from the coalition and bring down the government if a complete end to the war is agreed upon.

Netanyahu is also facing corruption charges in three high-profile cases involving bribery and breach of trust.

Netanyahu’s trial in these cases began in 2020 and is ongoing. He denies the charges, claiming they are part of a political campaign aimed at ousting him from office.

Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza that has killed more than 45,200 people, mostly women and children, since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.

On Nov. 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi