The Knesset voted to approve a bill delaying the deadline to pass the state budget by 120 days Monday night, preventing the dissolution of the 23rd Knesset and holding of new elections.
Just prior to the vote, Defense Minister Benny Gantz delivered a speech in which he said: “One hundred days ago, I decided to put every personal and political consideration aside and do what I have been committed to doing since first enlisting in the IDF and since taking on national leadership: To put Israel before everything else. To put the best interests of the country before my personal interest."
He added: “I have remained silent for one hundred days. I was silent in the face of personal attacks, I was silent in the face of endless attempts at humiliation and exclusion, I was silent in the face of mockery and ridicule by senior Likud members. A true leader can weather any type of criticism, a frightened leader will undermine stability by staying preoccupied with himself. One hundred days of silence, containment, and restraint have ended.”
"Threatening elections is a not a personal threat being held over me, it is a threat being held over the Israeli people. I will not allow anyone to bring this country down on its knees…I will protect this nation’s security internally and externally, and under my watch, no one will harm the rule-of-law," he stated.
Before entering the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu responded to Gantz's remarks, saying '' I do not remember that since the formation of the government that I have talked about Benny Gantz in such terms. I did not hear even once that the incessant attacks on me and the Likud have been stopped from within the government. But I think what we need now is to join hands to deal with our challenges and tasks ahead."
''This is what I have been doing all my life for our country despite the incessant attacks from the media and my political opponents, even from within the government. I think that at this point, we must do what is most important for the citizens and State of Israel," the prime minister added.