Israel war cabinet member Benny Gantz’s party submits bill seeking early election
- The move increases pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces rising public discontent and international criticism amid the war in Gaza
- The PM’s party says the bid to dissolve parliament would hurt the war effort and deal a ‘fatal blow’ to efforts to free hostages held by Hamas
Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz’s centrist party proposed on Thursday a bill to dissolve parliament, showing the growing strains in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government even if the prime minister has enough lawmakers to keep him in office.
The move follows an ultimatum Gantz issued in May, demanding that Netanyahu agree to a day-after plan for the Gaza war by June 8. He threatened to quit the coalition if no such agreement was forthcoming, although the prime minister’s Likud party and hard-right allies still have a majority of seats without Gantz.
Netanyahu, who has long pegged his reputation on being a security hawk, has faced rising public discontent after the October 7 Hamas attack that happened on his watch. The Israeli offensive on Gaza since then has prompted international criticism, including from Israel’s most important ally, the United States.
Gantz joined Netanyahu’s government shortly after the October 7 attack. As a member of the war cabinet he has helped manage the Israeli offensive in Gaza, but strains have grown as the war dragged on.
“The seventh of October was a disaster that requires us to go back and get the people’s trust, establish a broad and stable unity government to lead us safely through the tremendous challenges in security, in the economy and, most importantly, in the Israeli society,” Pnina Tameno, a lawmaker from Gantz’s National Unity party, said in a statement.