Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has called for early parliamentary elections to take place in September. In a televised speech from his office in the Knesset, Gantz announced that a consensus date must be set in September for the legislative elections to occur.
To organize these early elections, the approval of 61 Members of Parliament or a majority of Knesset representatives is needed as Netanyahu’s Likud Party holds the largest number of seats without a majority. Gantz stated that he had informed the prime minister and wished him a speedy recovery, promising to continue dialogue on the issue.
However, Netanyahu, who was discharged from hospital on Tuesday after undergoing minor surgery, rejected Gantz’s proposal immediately. The Likud Party stated that organizing elections during wartime would lead to paralysis and could negatively impact battles being fought against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Recent weeks have seen thousands participate in anti-Netanyahu demonstrations across Israel, with Tel Aviv and Jerusalem being particularly affected. Demonstrators and families of those kidnapped on October 7th have called for Netanyahu’s resignation, adding to growing pressure on the Prime Minister.
