Defense Minster Benny Gantz launched another effort in unseating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, asking Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit to consider declaring him unfit to serve due to his alleged abuse of powers.
Netanyahu and Gantz have been locking horns over the latter's refusal to convene the cabinet until a full-time justice minister is appointed. Netanyahu has refused, and Gantz believes this is because he wants to influence his ongoing corruption trial.
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Gantz and Netanyahu formed a unity government several months ago, but it quickly unraveled and an early election was called. Those elections were held last week, and although Gantz and Netanyahu have ruled out sitting in a government again, Gantz still has the power to prevent cabinet meetings until a new cabinet is formed.
On Wednesday, Gantz said that "not appointing a justice minister proves that Netanyahu is in a conflict of interest." He added that he had sent a letter to Mendelblit in order to "evaluate Netanyahu's fitness for office," because as of Thursday Israel will no longer have a justice minister.
"This will be a dark moment for Israel; for the first time, we won't have a justice minister. A man who is standing trial has tried to subordinate the rule of law; rather than appear before the court, he wants to undermine it. I will not let that happen," Gantz said, adding that Israel "is in a state of emergency" and that it is paramount that the prime minister steps down.
Gantz said that he was willing to let the cabinet convene in order to approve the purchase of more COVID-19 vaccines, but that this cannot come at the expense of having a full-time justice minister. "Israeli health is no less important than our constitutional health," he said.
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