The vote, proposed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, passed with 39 votes in favour and none against. As the debate on the proposal started, members of Netanyahu’s coalition abruptly left the Knesset plenum, rushing toward the exits just as the vote was about to take place
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition have boycotted a Knesset vote backing US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan.
The vote, proposed by opposition leader Yair Lapid, passed with 39 votes in favour and none against. As the debate on the proposal started, members of Netanyahu’s coalition abruptly left the Knesset plenum, rushing toward the exits just as the vote was about to take place.
Lapid said, “I admit that I am surprised and disappointed that Prime Minister Netanyahu is not here. This is the first opportunity given to us as a Knesset to say to President Trump, to say to the world, to say to ourselves – we are uniting around a common goal. Netanyahu chose to boycott the vote and not come here. It’s a shame.”
Opp wants to ’embarrass’ Netanyahu
Sources have told CNN that the Opposition’s move is to “challenge and embarrass” Netanyahu before the Trump administration and expose the cracks within the government.
Leaders like Ben Gvir and other far-right members of the government had already announced their opposition to the vote last week.
“We will certainly vote against – if Lapid wants to embarrass the state, that’s his business. A Palestinian state will not be established,” Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said.
Does Netanyahu support Trump’s plan?
Netanyahu publicly endorsed the plan during his September 2025 visit to the White House and applauded its adoption by the UN Security Council that November.
Yet the Cabinet, which includes Netanyahu’s far-right partners, has never formally debated or voted on the plan in full. It’s only approval covered the first phase of the ceasefire, which entailed a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in return for the release of the remaining living and deceased hostages. As part of that phase, Israel also agreed to free several Palestinian prisoners and detainees.
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