Blue & White leader Benny Gantz on Monday urged center-left parties to unite in a bid to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming elections in March 2021, saying he was “ready for a lot of sacrifice” to initiate such a movement.
Gantz’s statement comes as Israel prepares for a fourth round of elections in just under two years after their emergency unity government reached agreement on the state budget in December – leading to its automatic disbursement.
Blue & white leader Benny Gantz wants unity among the center-left
(Photo: Elad Malka)
“I shook the hand of this man I promised to replace, I stretched out the hand of a serial breaker,” the former military chief said in a televised address to the country.
“I shook it because the State of Israel is at war and I’m very much a soldier. I was wrong. As a real and deadly pandemic builds up and threatens the lives of all of us, [Netanyahu] he continued to separate and motivate as he serves his personal interests so he can escape his day in court. “
Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Knesset plenary
(Photo: Knesset PR)
“We cannot allow it to spread out to fragments of parties – there is a real danger that the opportunity will pass if we continue to spread across so many organizations.”
Following his speech, Yesair Atid’s party, leader against Yair Lapid, issued a laconic statement, saying “we will make every effort towards unions that will lead a sane and liberal government that will change the country . “
Chairman Yisrael Beytenu Avigdor Liberman
(Photo: Amit Shabi)
Yisrael Beytenu’s boss, Avigdor Liberman, rejected Gantz’s offer, however, saying “we already had a chance to book a place. [Netanyahu] but you chose to be a reserved prime minister. The only thing you can do now to declare the country is that you are not running for Knesset. “