Israel’s Gantz To Back Initial Vote to Disband Parliament

By Amy Teibel
Dec 1, 2020, 8:17 PM - Updated on Dec 1, 2020, 8:37 PM
Word Count: 192
“I joined this government with a heavy but whole heart” after a third inconclusive election in March, Defense Minister Benny Gantz told a news conference.

“I had no illusions about Netanyahu and was familiar with his record as a serial promise-breaker” but thought he “would rise to the challenge” of joining forces to tackle the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak, Gantz said. “But it didn’t happen.”

At the same time, he cracked open an opportunity for Netanyahu to avert the collapse of their coalition, telling him all he had to do was pass a 2020 budget by a Dec. 23 deadline and get the government functioning again.

“If there’s a budget and a functioning government, then we’re in,” Gantz said. “If there isn’t a budget and there isn’t a functioning government, then Netanyahu has decreed elections.”

The motion is scheduled to be brought before parliament in a preliminary vote on Wednesday. It would have to go through three more parliamentary votes to become law.

(Updates with comments from Benny Gantz from second paragraph)