He urged immediate elections, arguing, “We need to establish a government that garners public trust and can confront challenges head-on.”
“Netanyahu, let’s agree on an election date,” he demanded.
Last month, Gantz threatened to exit the emergency government—created last year to manage the war on Gaza—if Netanyahu didn’t disclose a post-war strategy for the heavily bombarded Palestinian territory. Israeli ground and aerial assaults have claimed over 37,000 lives since October 7, Gaza health officials report.
Gantz stated that while protests against Netanyahu’s government are crucial, they must remain within legal bounds.
“Protests are vital, but they must adhere to the law and should not foster hatred. We are not foes; adversaries are beyond our borders,” he asserted to the press.
“I support a national unity government encompassing all centrist factions. Only this broad unity, including Netanyahu, will enable us to tackle looming challenges. As I’ve mentioned, we require genuine unity, not just partial alignment,” he emphasized.
Gantz also exhorted Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant to “act prudently.”
Netanyahu responded briefly, urging Gantz not to “desert the front,” noting that Gantz’s potential departure wouldn’t jeopardize the right-wing coalition’s 64-seat majority in the 120-member Knesset.
Gantz is considered Netanyahu’s primary political adversary in Israel. He emerged as a significant opposition leader before allying with the war cabinet.
