Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz hinted on Monday evening at the possibility of joining the government to support a hostage deal, should current coalition members threaten to resign and bring down the coalition.
Gantz delivered a statement shortly after the speeches by US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the new plan to secure the release of hostages and bring the war to an end was presented.
“I commend President Trump for the tremendous efforts he is investing to bring about the return of our hostages and ensure Israel’s security,” Gantz said.
He called for swift action: “Now is the time for initiative. We must implement the President’s plan, bring back all our hostages, maintain operational security freedom, replace Hamas’s rule, and bring Arab states into Gaza, as I proposed a year and a half ago.”
Gantz stressed the urgency and strategic value of the opportunity: “We cannot miss this chance again to return our hostages, safeguard our security, and achieve a strategic transformation that will also lead to expanded normalization in the future.”
Concluding his remarks, he alluded to joining the government: “We will not allow petty politics to derail the plan.”
MK Chili Tropper added his support: “Trump’s plan, centered on returning all hostages and removing Hamas’s rule, is good for Israel. The Israeli government must pursue its implementation without political considerations. And if Hamas refuses, we must continue to strike it relentlessly.”