Knesset member Pnina Tamano Shata, from the National Unity Party, submitted a bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset, party officials said Thursday.
This was done as part of Benny Gantz’s plan to hold elections with broad consensus by October.
1\ I will start from the conclusion: Israel will not hold early elections (for the time being). The bill to dissolve the Knesset, proposed by Benny Gantz’s party, will not advance anytime soon
– Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 30, 2024
In mid-May, Gantz presented an ultimatum to Netanyahu’s government, telling them that if his demands were not met by June 8, he would withdraw from the unity government formed after October 7.
“Basic decisions were not made. Basic leadership decisions were not made to ensure victory. A small minority seized the command bridge of the Israeli ship of state and directed it toward the rocks,” Gantz said during the ultimatum announcement.
Alarm
Gantz identified six goals that Netanyahu will need to achieve to prevent the withdrawal of National Unity from the government.
Most of the points revolve around the return of the hostages and ending the war, and others deal with the return to normal life for Israeli citizens.
There are two points that make it very difficult for Netanyahu to accept the ultimatum. First, the third point calls for multilateral control of the Gaza Strip, something that has already been rejected by several proposed proponents, including the United Arab Emirates.
Secondly, the sixth point calls for the establishment of a unified recruitment model for the entire country, which is explicitly opposed by Shas and the United Torah Judaism Party, the main partners in the coalition.
Likud responded to the bill, which accuses Gantz of promoting division in the country, saying: “The dissolution of the unity government is a reward for Sinwar, a surrender to international pressure and a fatal blow to efforts to free our hostages.”
The National Unity Party responded, saying that Netanyahu caused the government’s dissolution by putting his personal interest above the national interest. They said: “Netanyahu, it is not too late to come to your senses – either we will win together – or you will continue the policy of divide and rule alone.”
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