National Unity MK Pnina Tamano-Shata submitted a bill to dissolve the 25th Knesset, according to party officials on Thursday.
This was done as part of Benny Gantz’s plan to have elections with broad consensus by October.
1 \ I will start from the bottom line: Israel isn’t going for an early election (for now). The bill to dissolve the Knesset, which was tabled by Benny Gantz’s party, isn’t really advancing any time soon
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 30, 2024
In mid-May, Gantz presented an ultimatum to the Netanyahu government, telling them that if his demands were not met by June 8, he would withdraw from the unity government formed after October 7.
“Essential decisions were not made. Essential leadership decisions to ensure victory were not done. A small minority has taken over the command bridge of the Israeli ship of state and is steering her toward the rocks,” Gantz said during the announcement of the ultimatum.
The ultimatum
Gantz listed six objectives that Netanyahu would need to meet to prevent National Unity’s withdrawal from the government.
Most of the points revolve around the return of the hostages and the end of the war, and others deal with a return to normality for Israeli citizens.
Two points make it extremely difficult for Netanyahu to accept the ultimatum. First, point three calls for multi-lateral control of the Gaza Strip, something which has already been rejected by several of the proposed supporters, including the UAE.
Second, point six calls for creating a standardized conscription model for the whole country, which is explicitly opposed by Shas and United Torah Judaism key partners in the coalition.
Likud responded to the bill accusing Gantz of fostering division in the country, “The dissolution of the unity government is a reward for Sinwar, a surrender to international pressures and a fatal blow to the efforts to free our hostages.”
National Unity hit back, saying that Netanyahu had been causing the government to dissolve by putting his personal interest ahead of the national interest. “Netanyahu, it is not too late to come to your senses – either together we will win – or you will continue alone with the ‘divide and rule.'” they said.
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