Netanyahu Dismisses Hanegbi Amid Deep Divisions in Israeli Government

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday evening the termination of the duties of National Security Council Chairman Tzachi Hanegbi from his position.

This step comes in the wake of a series of disputes witnessed within the Israeli government, and amid increasing criticism directed at the performance of security and political apparatuses since the attacks of October 7, 2023.

Netanyahu’s office stated in an official statement: “The Prime Minister extends his sincere thanks to Tzachi Hanegbi for his service as Chairman of the National Security Council during the past three years, with his best wishes for success in his future endeavors, and continued health and well-being.” It was announced that the Deputy Chairman of the National Security Council, Gil Reich, will immediately assume the duties of acting head.

For his part, Hanegbi confirmed in a farewell message that “the terrible failure of October 7 must be deeply investigated,” noting that he “bears part of the responsibility,” and calling for lessons to be learned to ensure that the mistakes that led to the attack are not repeated. He added:

“I thanked the Prime Minister for the privilege I had in participating in shaping Israel’s foreign and security policy during challenging years, and for the opportunity I had to express an independent position in sensitive discussions.”

Hanegbi continued, “The challenges are still significant and require wise and responsible action, as the war is not over yet, and the task of returning the prisoners and ensuring the disarmament of Gaza has not been completed,” stressing the importance of healing the wounds of Israeli society and strengthening internal unity after two years of division and destruction.

It is worth noting that Hanegbi’s dismissal came in the wake of escalating tension between him and a number of ministers in Netanyahu’s government, most notably National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, due to disagreements over the management of some security and humanitarian files. Israeli reports stated that a heated verbal argument erupted last month between the two sides during a government meeting, after Ben-Gvir opposed the National Security Council’s proposal to allow Red Cross delegations to visit Palestinian prisoners, which led to an exchange of accusations and shouting.

Israeli media also reported that Hanegbi was one of the most prominent opponents of the idea of ​​completely occupying the Gaza Strip and supported reaching an interim agreement with Hamas, which made him subject to harsh criticism from right-wing circles within the government.

,The Israeli National Security Council has been subjected to widespread criticism over the past year due to what was considered a weakness in its role and influence on the decision-making process during the war. Knesset member and former General Gadi Eisenkot stated that “the Council had no significant impact during the war,” adding that “the government entered the war with complete intelligence failure and weakness in coordination between security institutions.”

Eisenkot explained that the absence of strategic discussions within a government comprising more than 70 members made it impossible to develop a unified vision, adding that the National Security Council “did not even appear before the investigation committee to avoid holding it responsible for the failure of October 7.”