More than 40 former Israeli military officials, intelligence officials, business leaders and diplomats have called for the “immediate removal” of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a letter sent to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and parliament on Thursday, the group argued that Netanyahu poses a “clear and present danger” to the state of Israel as long as he remains in leadership.
“As a major contributor to the country's defense and one of the world's strongest economies over the past several decades, we believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu poses a continuing existential threat to the people and the state of Israel, and that Israel has no alternative.” We strongly believe that we have a capable leader in place “to him immediately,'' the letter said.
The 43 officials who signed include former IDF chiefs Moshe Ya'alon and Dan Haroutz, former Mossad intelligence chiefs Tamir Pardo and Dany Yatom, and Nadav, who led the Shin Bet security agency.・Includes Mr. Argaman and Mr. Yaakov Peri.
Prime Minister Netanyahu denies Palestinian state in post-war scenario, prompting criticism from US
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the funeral of Senior Sergeant Major Gal Meir Eisenkot, 25, at the Herzliya Cemetery in Herzliya, Israel, on December 8, 2023. More than 40 former Israeli national security officials, prominent businessmen and scientists have said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was responsible for the October 7 terrorist attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. They are calling for the prime minister's immediate resignation. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Several CEOs, former ambassadors, and academics also signed the letter, including Nobel laureates Aaron Chehanover, Abram Hershko, and Dan Shechtman.
The coalition has accused Netanyahu's government of being filled with incompetent or corrupt ministers, accused him of forming a coalition with “extremist parties” and pushed through a series of controversial judicial reforms. They claim that this has undermined Israeli democracy. Additionally, they hold Prime Minister Netanyahu responsible for security deficiencies that they say incited and enabled the October 7 attack in which Hamas terrorists massacred 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. ing.
“We have condemned Prime Minister Netanyahu to the brutal massacre of more than 1,200 Israelis and others, the injury of more than 4,500, and the kidnapping of more than 230 people (more than 130 of whom are still held by Hamas). “We believe that he is primarily responsible for creating the situation,” the letter said. “The blood of the victims is on Prime Minister Netanyahu's hands.”
The letter was also sent to U.S. national security officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, and members of Congress.
EU chief says Israel is responsible for Hamas' expansion in Gaza: 'It was government funding'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly Cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, September 27, 2023. Critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say his leadership has divided Israel and that his polarizing attempts to reform the country's judiciary have undermined democracy. (Abil Sultan/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
This comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a “no-confidence motion” introduced by opposition leaders amid his war with Hamas. Critics say Netanyahu has been prime minister for too long, 13 of the past 14 years, and is responsible for appointing officials and developing a security plan that failed to prevent the October 7 massacre. He claims he owed it. Even before the war, controversy over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reform plan caused widespread unrest in Israel over the summer, with tens of thousands of people protesting the move.
Israel's Supreme Court earlier this month dealt a blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial reform plans, striking down a law that prevents judges from overturning government decisions the court deems “unreasonable.” In an 8-7 ruling, the court ruled that the law risks “serious and unprecedented harm to the core character of the State of Israel as a democratic state.”
The letter accuses Netanyahu of stirring up political unrest that was exploited by Israel's enemies.
“Leaders of Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas have publicly praised what they rightly see as a process that destabilizes and erodes the stability of Israel, led by Prime Minister Netanyahu, undermining and damaging Israel. “I seized the opportunity to give it to them.”
Israeli Supreme Court rules against Prime Minister Netanyahu in judicial review as Hamas war escalates
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Israeli Defense Force soldiers on the front lines ahead of the first ground invasion. Former Mossad intelligence chief Haim Tomer called Prime Minister Netanyahu “incompetent” and said he was putting the country at risk by appointing corrupt and incompetent ministers to key positions in the Israeli government. Ta. (Benyamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו @netanyahu)
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell voiced these criticisms last week, vowing that Netanyahu's government was funding Hamas to undermine the then-Palestinian Authority.
“It is true that Hamas received funding from the Israeli government with the aim of weakening the Palestinian Authority led by Fatah,” Borrell said in a speech at the University of Valladolid, according to Reuters.
The letter alleges and details that Prime Minister Netanyahu funneled hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar to strengthen Hamas' military infrastructure in the years before the terrorist organization seized control of Gaza and the West Bank. ing. Prime Minister Netanyahu had previously denied such allegations.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is incompetent,” said Haim Tomer, a former Mossad intelligence chief who signed a letter calling for Netanyahu's ouster.
UN Supreme Court allows Israel to continue fighting in Gaza, orders it to comply with Genocide Convention
“I think if you judge Netanyahu by his actions, rather than his speeches in the American media or the Israeli media, you will find that he lacks a strategy, or lacks a strategy… “We are not ready to have a serious discussion about the so-called end scenario or endgame of the war in Lebanon,” Tomar said in an interview on FOX News Digital.
Tomer stressed that the signatories of the letter were not calling for violence against Prime Minister Netanyahu or for his illegal removal from office. He said the coalition was pushing for a legal process to select a new prime minister and a new government.
“After October 7, I think people … started to understand that this leader was not leading the country in a positive, right direction,” Tomer said.
But Israeli Middle East expert Caroline Glick said Netanyahu's unpopularity was being exaggerated by his critics.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“Last week's poll published by Israel's Channel 14 showed a reversal of declining support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Likud party, and the right-wing and religious coalition. -He has an eight-point lead over Gantz and Yair Lapid, each with 16 points,'' Glick told FOX News Digital.
“In the 10 months preceding the Hamas invasion and massacre, these same retired security chiefs and academics refused to accept the election results and played a leading role in an unprecedented attack on the Israeli people's right to elect their nation's leaders. “By calling on reservists not to serve in the military, they tore apart the Israel Defense Forces. Their actions polarized and weakened Israel's leadership and social cohesion,” Glick said. did.
“Viewed in context, their latest letter makes sense in two ways: It is consistent with their long-standing efforts to use all legitimacy to annul the results of the last election. “It is also an attempt to shift the blame for weakening the country onto the people of their political opponents,” she said.
Fox News Digital's Lawrence Richard and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
