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©(Photo by Abir SULTAN / POOL / AFP)
Israeli Minister Benny Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet and the main political rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called for early legislative elections on Wednesday.
"We will soon be calling on voters, and for that, we must agree on a consensual date in September for the legislative elections," said Gantz, who is also a member of the Knesset, in a televised address from his office.
The organization of early elections requires the agreement of 61 members, which is the majority of the Knesset's deputies, where Netanyahu's Likud party holds the most seats but lacks a majority.
"I have kept the Prime Minister informed — to whom I wish good health and a speedy recovery, and we will continue the dialogue on this matter," added Mr. Gantz, who leads the Blue and White Party (center-right).
Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, two days after being admitted for hernia surgery, according to his office.
The Likud party stated its rejection of Gantz' calls for election during wartime, arguing it would lead to paralysis and would comprise the army and its fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Opponents of Netanyahu have staged demonstrations, gathering thousands of people in recent weeks, particularly since Saturday, notably in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Protesters and relatives of hostages abducted on October 7 in Israel have called for the Prime Minister's resignation.
According to the latest polls, in the event of early elections, Benny Gantz would be significantly ahead and would outperform Netanyahu, whose popularity has been declining since the Hamas attack on October 7th.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/241523"]
"We will soon be calling on voters, and for that, we must agree on a consensual date in September for the legislative elections," said Gantz, who is also a member of the Knesset, in a televised address from his office.
The organization of early elections requires the agreement of 61 members, which is the majority of the Knesset's deputies, where Netanyahu's Likud party holds the most seats but lacks a majority.
"I have kept the Prime Minister informed — to whom I wish good health and a speedy recovery, and we will continue the dialogue on this matter," added Mr. Gantz, who leads the Blue and White Party (center-right).
Netanyahu was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, two days after being admitted for hernia surgery, according to his office.
The Likud party stated its rejection of Gantz' calls for election during wartime, arguing it would lead to paralysis and would comprise the army and its fight against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Opponents of Netanyahu have staged demonstrations, gathering thousands of people in recent weeks, particularly since Saturday, notably in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Protesters and relatives of hostages abducted on October 7 in Israel have called for the Prime Minister's resignation.
According to the latest polls, in the event of early elections, Benny Gantz would be significantly ahead and would outperform Netanyahu, whose popularity has been declining since the Hamas attack on October 7th.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/241523"]
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