Likud Split: Prime Minister's Cousin Exits Party Over October 7

Nathan Netanyahu, a cousin of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a professor at Bar-Ilan University, formally resigned from the Likud party on Tuesday. In a letter posted to X, he announced he will not support the party in the upcoming election. He stated that the movement has abandoned its founding values and that its leadership has created a deep division within the country.

The professor outlined four distinct failures by the current administration. He identified the judicial overhaul as the first, describing it as a coup d'etat. He cited attacks on the judiciary, controversial appointments, and incitement against critics as evidence that the government has corrupted public culture. He noted that he had warned about court independence in an April 2023 speech, referencing values learned from his mother, Supreme Court Justice Shoshana Netanyahu.

The second failure is the October 7 attack, which occurred during this government's tenure. Nathan Netanyahu argued that a containment policy relying on Qatari funds and economic concessions allowed Hamas to grow stronger. He listed 1,200 killed civilians and security personnel, families massacred in their homes, sexual assaults, and 251 abductions as proof of the policy's collapse. He added that the subsequent war has left thousands wounded and trapped Israel in a multi-front conflict with no clear exit.

He accused the government of breaking the social contract as the third failure. He pointed to deficits in education, health, and transportation, noting that these gaps became visible after October 7 when volunteers stepped in. He criticized the exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from military service and the financial support given to those parties, contrasting this with the sacrifices of reservists.

The fourth failure is a refusal to accept responsibility. He questioned why no national commission of inquiry has been established more than three years after the massacre. He stated that while the government may not be criminally guilty, it remains accountable to the public. He cited the lack of such a panel as the most serious example of this refusal.

Nathan Netanyahu said he will consider rejoining Likud once the party elects new leadership free of these issues. He ended his letter with a reference to the prophet Amos, declaring, "For three crimes of the Israeli government, and for four I will not choose them!"