Benny Gantz

Israeli Minister Benny Gantz Resigns from War Cabinet

Depthening Divisions

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has resigned, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of deepening divisions over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Centrist Critic

Gantz, a centrist member of Israel's emergency government, said in a statement on Sunday that he could no longer serve in a "government of paralysis" that was failing to address the health and economic challenges facing the country.

The resignation of Gantz is a blow to Netanyahu, who has been under fire for his handling of the pandemic. Israel has one of the highest infection rates per capita in the world, and the economy has been battered by the crisis.

Gantz is a former military chief of staff and one of Netanyahu's most prominent critics. He joined Netanyahu's government in March in a bid to create a unity government during the pandemic.

However, the resignation of Gantz suggests that the divisions within the government are too deep to overcome.