Netanyahu Seeks to End Government Partnership with Gantz

By Staff, Agencies

Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is looking for a reason to put his political partnership with Benny Gantz on hold and dissolve the unity government, calling for another election, according to a report by The Times of ‘Israel’.

“The marriage between us and Blue and White will end at the Rabbinate [with a divorce] much faster than everyone thinks. Netanyahu is trying to find the right timing and pretext to call elections”, a senior Likud source was quoted as saying by ‘Israeli’ Channel 12 on Sunday.

According to the source, this pretext could be provided after talks over the state budget that are set to be completed by the end of August, as Netanyahu's son and wife are said to be urging him to disband the unity government. These allegations, however, were reportedly denied by Likud and characterized as an "ugly lie".

Netanyahu has also reportedly demanded the change of a key clause of the power-sharing deal with the Blue and White that envisaged Gantz automatically becoming transitional PM instead of Netanyahu if elections are called between November 2020 and November 2021.

Reports on tensions bubbling in the coalition suggested that Likud was delaying the vote on a so-called Norwegian law so that Netanyahu can gain leverage to make changes to the unity deal.