Netanyahu refuses to grant Ben Gvir the national security and defense portfolios...and an escalation within the Israeli coalition

Tel Aviv - Ofoq News - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that he intends to keep the defense and national security portfolios in the hands of the Likud Party during the next government, if it succeeds in forming it, in a move that may hamper the ambitions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who announced during the election campaign his intention to demand the defense portfolio.

Netanyahu's position came during a conference in the city of Acre, where he made it clear that the Ministries of Defense and National Security would remain under Likud's control in the next government, according to what was reported by Israeli media.

The Otzma Yehudit party, led by Ben Gvir, responded with sharp criticism, considering that Netanyahu's statements reinforce the conclusion that there is a decision to exclude Ben Gvir and his party from the government coalition, and replace him with Gadi Eisenkot, while transferring the main ministerial portfolios to another camp.

The party said in a statement that Netanyahu's statements, which also included the Ministry of Justice, indicate that Likud wants to keep these ministries for itself, considering that this may pave the way for changing the composition of the next coalition.