Israel: Benny Gantz’s opposition party calls for new elections

The party of war cabinet member Benny Gantz is calling for new elections in Israel: The party announced on Thursday that it had submitted a corresponding bill to dissolve parliament. According to Gantz’s request, the new election should take place before October, i.e. before the one-year anniversary of the major attack by the radical Islamist Hamas on Israel.

The National Unity Party, which is part of the war cabinet, has submitted a bill for a vote in parliament on its dissolution, said Gantz’s center-right party. It is unclear whether this could gain a majority in the Knesset, which would then lead to new elections. According to media reports, the step toward new elections was seen as more of a symbolic one.

Netanyahu’s Likud party criticizes Gantz’s announcement

However, even without Gantz’s party, Netanyahu’s right-wing religious cabinet still has a majority of 64 of the 120 seats in parliament. Gantz’s party could therefore not count on a majority in a vote on the motion.

Media interpreted Gantz’s party’s move as a possible reaction to an opinion poll published the previous evening. According to the poll, for the first time since the war began almost eight months ago, a narrow majority would prefer Netanyahu to Gantz for the office of prime minister.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party responded to Gantz’s announcement by saying that “the dissolution of the unity government was a reward” for Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar, “a capitulation to international pressure and a devastating setback for efforts to free our hostages.”

Israel: Gantz gives Netanyahu ultimatum

Gantz had already called for new elections in September. Regular elections in Israel are not scheduled until the end of 2026. The Likud had previously warned that early elections would harm the Israeli army’s fight against the Islamist Hamas. Gantz had given Netanyahu an ultimatum of June 8 to present a plan for how to proceed after the end of the Gaza war. Otherwise, he would leave the war coalition. This step would also affect other members of his National Union party. After the Islamist Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on October 7, Gantz joined the government to show unity.

Netanyahu has headed a government made up of his Likud party and allied religious fundamentalists and right-wing nationalists since December 2022. After the election, there were large demonstrations in the country for months because Netanyahu – who was himself on trial for corruption – wanted to weaken the judiciary. After Hamas’ attack on Israel, however, these issues had faded into the background. Netanyahu has been shaping the fortunes of Israeli politics for decades and was first head of government in 1996.

The Gaza War was triggered by the major attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, in which, according to Israeli sources, at least 1,189 people were killed. The Islamists also kidnapped 252 people as hostages in the Gaza Strip.

In response, Israel has since launched massive military action in the Gaza Strip. According to the latest figures from the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, more than 36,200 people have been killed so far.