A furious Benny Gantz on Monday demanded Blue and White lawmakers undergo a polygraph test following a leak from a meeting with confidants during which he admitted outright that he "does not expect" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to honor the rotation agreement that would see Gantz become Israel's premier in late 2021.
According to Channel 12 News, the statement was made when Gantz met at his home with the core founding members of his Israel Resilience party, do discuss whether the Blue and White faction should exit the coalition over the constant tensions with Likud.
The move is likely to trigger early elections, which would be Israel's fourth in the span of two years.
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According to Monday's report, Gantz told his confidants, "I understand that I won't get the rotation. ... I won't believe Netanyahu even for a day before it happens."
Gantz's unusual demand sparked outrage among faction members. One MK told Channel 12 that "someone seems to have forgotten that this is politics, not the General Staff."
Those present at Sunday's meeting reportedly could not agree on whether Blue and White should bolt the coalition at this time.
MKs Ram Shefa, Miki Haimovich, and Assaf Zamir were in favor of the move, while Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi warned that if Blue and White were to give in over the budget, it would spell the end of the party.
"I understand that he [Netanyahu] will never give the rotation to Benny," Ashkenazi said, "and therefore we need to break it up now."
Gantz told the gathering that if he could find a way to make the government work, he would remain, "and if not, I am prepared to pay with my seat."
A Likud statement following the report said, "This is not the time for division. This is not the time for petty politics."
Also on Monday, the national-religious Yamina faction said it would support a bill by Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) to dissolve the Knesset and hold early elections while criticizing Blue and White for remaining in the coalition despite the looming budget crisis.
Recent polls project Yamina could pose an actual challenge to Likud in the next elections.
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