Israeli PM Netanyahu’s majority safe after Gantz departure

JERUSALEM >> Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz announced on Sunday that he was quitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency unity government formed shortly after the Hamas Oct 7. attack on Israel.

His departure still leaves Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious coalition in control of parliament with a 64-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.

Gantz, a former armed forces chief and defense minister, heads the centrist National Unity party which holds eight seats.

Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party, the largest faction, has 32 parliament seats. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is a member of the party and has clashed with Netanyahu and some nationalists in the government over Gaza strategy.

Settler party Religious Zionism, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, holds seven seats.

Ultra-nationalist Jewish Power, headed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Noam hold six and one seats respectively.

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties Shas and United Torah Judaism hold 11 and 7 seats respectively.