Gantz: Israel May Get Snap Election Next March

The leader of the Israeli "Blue and White- in Hebrew: Kahol Lavan" party and Israeli Defense Minister  Benny Gantz, suggested, in a closed conversation, that Israel would head to another snap election on March 21 next year, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The Israeli newspaper quoted Gantz as saying, "I gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu all the opportunities in the world and gave him all the time. I met him and urged him to pass the budget."

Gantz added that there are no words to describe the scale of the scandal of taking a state hostage for three years.

He noted that in short, we are going to elections, and we will emerge from them stronger than what we have seen in opinion polls."

It is reported that there have been coalition differences between the Likud party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Blue and White parties chaired by Gantz since the formation of the government on May 17, 2020.

The main dispute between the two sides revolves around the state budget, which the Blue and White party has repeatedly urged the Israeli Prime Minister and Finance Ministry to approve because the government has not drawn up a budget since 2019.

However, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz is seeking to form a commission of inquiry into what is known in the media as the "submarine" case, which has raised suspicions of corruption about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and those close to him.

"Yediot Aharonot" reported on Wednesday that Gantz has met in recent days a number of retired judges as candidates to head the investigation committee, as well as held legal consultations within the Ministry of Defense regarding the formation of the investigation committee, and its ability to reach conclusions that were not revealed by a police investigation earlier.

Maariv newspaper quoted sources in the "Kahol Lavan" party as saying that "Gantz is escalating his rhetoric, but it is not clear yet whether he will carry out his threats.

He is hesitant, despite the pressure on him inside Kahol Lavan is increasing, and he will be forced to make his decision.