Backdoor Peace: Netanyahu Agreed to Gaza Ceasefire Without Cabinet Vote

Cabinet Hawks Fume as Ceasefire Takes Effect

The Gaza War ground to an apparent halt today, with an open-ended ceasefire containing most of the same terms as a failed peace treaty being agreed to, and likely taking the place of a formal truce.

With Israel’s cabinet so vehemently opposed to the truce, the ceasefire came as something of a surprise. Especially to the cabinet, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the deal without any cabinet vote at all.

Economy Minister Neftali Bennett, one of the most outspoken of the cabinet hawks, blasted the move, saying the cabinet was almost uniformly opposed to peace with the Gaza Strip, and want the war resumed immediately. Netanyahu insisted that he didn’t need cabinet approval for a ceasefire.

Where this goes from here remains to be seen, but Israel’s coalition seems more divided than ever, with even many members of Netanyahu’s own Likud Party complaining that agreeing to peace was a “sign of weakness” and that Israel should’ve continued the war at all costs.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.