Gantz: Unity Government Needed in Israel Now

Benny Gantz, former chief –in-staff and Blue and White leader says he has ‘not received a serious reply’ from the PM Benjamin Netanyahu on offer to start negotiations to form an emergency coalition in Israel  amid  threats of the Coronavirus pandemic.

He said that the formation of an emergency unity government to deal with the burgeoning coronavirus crisis “is the right thing for the State of Israel at this time.

But he is currently waiting for an answer from Netanyahu on beginning negotiations.

On Thursday evening, Netanyahu reached out to his political rivals to form an emergency government to fight the spread of the virus.

Netanyahu invited Gantz for talks.

In a prime-time televised speech from the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, the premier called on the Blue and White leader to take the step following a year-long political deadlock during which neither has succeeded in forming a governing coalition.

“It would be an emergency government for a limited time, and we will fight together to save the lives of tens of thousands of citizens,” Netanyahu said in his statement to the press.

He issued dire warnings of a high potential death toll from the virus and announced that Israeli schools would be shut down starting Friday.

Gantz subsequently said he was willing to discuss an emergency government, but added that it would have to include elements from all political sides, an implication that he would insist on the inclusion of the majority-Arab Joint List.

Writing in a Facebook post on Friday afternoon, Gantz said that Blue and White “intends to join the fight against the coronavirus.

Gantz, knocking the prime minister for “addressing me via the media, as usual,”

He revealed that he hadn’t received a serious response to his request to begin formal negotiations.

“In a conversation, I had with him after [his address], I told him that we would continue to back every move [aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus in Israel].

Gantz suggested that negotiating teams meet and discuss the need and possibility of establishing a broad emergency government for the forthcoming period.

Sources close to Gantz said that the issue of a unity government was not progressing as Blue and White were demanding a meeting of negotiating teams before any one-on-one between the leaders to see what Netanyahu was offering.

Likud led by Netanyahu said it wanted an immediate meeting between the two-party chiefs.