Israel: Gantz mulls pushing bill to dissolve Knesset

Benny Gantz has told heads of branches of his Blue and White party that Israel is heading for elections, public broadcaster Kan reported yesterday.

Haaretz also reported Eitan Ginzburg, chairman of the Knesset bloc of Gantz’s party, saying that they are putting forward a bill to dissolve the Knesset because of disagreements with coalition partner Likud.

Speaking to Army Radio, Ginzburg said that “Likud is pushing us” to an election and that party leaders are mulling a number of options, such as dissolving the Knesset and forming an alternate government.

Kan reported that Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) are planning to push for the dissolution of the Knesset before such a step is taken by Yish Atid led by Yair Lapid in order not to give him the opportunity to oust the government.

READ: Netanyahu faces Gantz’s hesitation and Bennett’s impulsiveness

On Monday, Netanyahu slammed Gantz’s decision to form an inquiry commission into the prime minister’s corruption case related to submarines, stating that it was “shameful for Gantz to use the Israel Defense Forces” for political reasons, according to Haaretz.

Asked by Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper whether he would support dissolving the Knesset before the deadline for passing the state budget on 23 December, Gantz said he was “not willing to bear the responsibility of a nonfunctioning government … Netanyahu is thinking first and foremost about his trial.”