Netanyahu Faces The Strong Reaction Of The Right Winged Group As President Trump Urges Israel To End The War In Gaza

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - The division in Israel's extreme far-right coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged as a hotspot in an attempt to end the war in Gaza, which threatened to thwart the United States' efforts to reshape the Middle East's political landscape.

Under President Donald Trump's pressure to end the two-year war, Netanyahu faced a strong backlash from an ultra-nationalist ally opposing a proposal by the Purih Building regarding Gaza that could force the Israeli leader to hold elections early.

Netanyahu has approved President Trump's 20-point plan to end the war, which calls for Gaza's demilitarization and rules out the role of the Hamas administration in the future, despite allowing its members to stay behind if they abandon violence and surrender their weapons.

Hamas responded positively, some accepting Trump's plans, saying they were ready to negotiate the release of the hostages and would be part of "the Palestinian national framework" as Gaza's future is being discussed.

However, Hamas' idea could still exist, let alone be able to continue discussing Gaza's plans after the hostages were released, angering right-wing coalition partner Netanyahu.

"We cannot agree under any circumstances to where a terrorist organization that brought the biggest disaster to the State of Israel was revived," National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said.

"We absolutely will not be partners to it," he said in a post on X after the Sabat, threatening to resign from government.

If right-wing ministers believe Netanyahu has made too many concessions to end the war, the ruling coalition - the far-rightest government in Israeli history - could collapse a full year before the next general election, which should be held in October 2026.

However, insisting on continuing the war in Gaza would make the families of the hostages who are still being held by Palestinian militants in Gaza angry, and could further isolate Israel's war-tiring public and Israel's international allies.

The ongoing conflict could also quell Israel's hopes that more Arab and Muslim countries could join the Abrahamic Agreement, a series of agreements supported by Uncle Sam's country to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab countries.

Extending the agreement has become Trump's priority as his government pursues its own interests in the Middle East. However, Saudi Arabia has confirmed it will not normalize relations with Israel until the Gaza war ends and there is a way for the Palestinian state.

President Trump himself has asked Israel to stop bombing Gaza so that negotiations on its plans can be implemented, starting with indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Egypt on Monday to release all remaining hostages.

However, another right-wing Israeli politician, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Saturday said stopping the attack on Gaza was a "big mistake". He said, over time, this would erode Israel's position because it was pursuing its goal of releasing the hostages, eliminating Hamas, and carrying out Gaza's demilitarization.

It is known that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, whose party has held 13 of Knesset's 120 seats, have long encouraged Netanyahu to pursue major goals that seem impossible to achieve in Gaza. If both leave the government, it will most likely trigger elections.

Yesterday, Israeli government spokesman Shosh Bedrosian said the military had stopped what he called specific bombings, but there was no ceasefire.

"The military will continue to act for "defensive purposes"," he said.

PM Netanyahu himself has framed the plan as a joint effort to advance government goals, including Hamas' surrender and Israeli security control in Gaza and its perimeter.

However, President Trump's plans have no details, including a time frame for Hamas to strip. A vague reference to the Palestinian state is also likely to anger right-wing allies Netanyahu.