In a dramatic and unexpected turnaround, Benny Gantz was elected president of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, on Thursday, March 26, as part of a potential power-sharing agreement with outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whose Political survival is at stake after he has been charged with corruption in a series of cases.
At the last minute, Mr. Gantz, whose centrist Blue White party waged three electoral campaigns in less than a year against the Likud of Mr. Netanyahu, presented his own candidacy and not that of one of his deputies to the post. President of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. Parliament also indicated in the process that Mr. Gantz was the only candidate for the post, vacant after the resignation the day before of Yuli Edelstein, a close friend of Mr. Netanyahu.
Benny Gantz's coalition on the brink of implosion
Mr. Gantz was immediately elected by 74 votes to 18, notably obtaining the votes of the deputies of Likoud, but losing support in his own camp, members of Bleu Blanc having refused to endorse this rapprochement with the party of Mr. Netanyahu. After the announcement by Mr. Gantz, the party's leaders, Yaïr Lapid and Moshe Yaalon, said they were leaving the ship.
Immediately after his election, Mr. Gantz called for a "Unity and emergency government" to manage the coronavirus crisis. "Israel is experiencing an increasing number of infections and the number of victims is increasing every day", he said. "I congratulate Benny Gantz on his courageous decision to join a unity government led by Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s the right decision for Israel in this time of emergency. ” health, said Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel is fighting the pandemic, one of the side effects of which was the indefinite postponement of the trial of Benjamin Netanyahu, accused of corruption, embezzlement and breach of trust in three cases.
To date, more than 2,660 cases and eight deaths have been officially confirmed in Israel. Authorities have tightened restrictions by banning citizens from leaving their homes except for essential reasons such as buying food, medicine, receiving health care, or in some cases working.
