Binyamin Netanyahu
Binyamin NetanyahuKobi Gideon/GPO

Prime Minister Netanyahu will hold a briefing on Tuesday afternoon (Tuesday) on the purchase of coronavirus vaccines together with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein.

Netanyahu noted that Israel has purchased 16 million vaccines, and that Israel is preparing for another vaccination campaign, this time for the children.

Netanyahu spoke of his struggle with Benny Gantz, who refused to approve the purchase of the vaccines: "We obtained vaccines thanks to my personal commitment to the Pfizer and Moderna leaders. I explained to them that I was simply blocked from buying vaccines by the government."

Later, Netanyahu referred to the political stalemate that is preventing the formation of a government, and claimed that the only way out was to hold direct elections.

"There is a solution to the political tangle. The solution is a direct election for prime minister - to let the public decide who will lead the country. There is a huge majority in the country that supports it, it crosses most parties in the Knesset. Recent elections have shown the public wants a right-wing government. And the only reason why it is impossible to form a right-wing government right now is personal rather than ideological, so there are two options: either to form a left-wing government with a right-wing fig leaf - with Meretz, the Joint List, Labor. This is contrary to the will of the voter and contrary to the commitments of Bennett and Gideon Sa'ar. The second option is to form a stable right-wing government for four years after holding a direct election for prime minister so that the public can choose who will be the next prime minister. We do not need to dissolve the Knesset and we do not need a fifth election, we need a quick referendum and to let the people decide who will be the prime minister. I will accept any result and I hope that others will do the same," Netanyahu said.

He said, "It can be done immediately - it depends on only one person, Naftali Bennett. If Bennett supports this proposal, there is a majority for it. There is no reason not to support it, he pledged to support a right-wing government and pledged not to go under Lapid and the left. He will have a senior position in the government. Unfortunately, although I received a mandate from the president to form a right-wing government, Bennett is simultaneously negotiating with us and to form a left-wing government."

"This means that just because of his personal ambition to be prime minister with seven seats, Bennett does not let us fulfill the mandate and form a stable right-wing government. We also saw this last night when Yamina voted in the Knesset against the right and with the left. He must announce today that he supports direct elections and then we will get out of the mess," he added.

Turning to the controversy over forming a government with the United Arab List, he said: "regarding Ra'am, you don't need Ra'am. You need a direct election to form a government. This solves this whole question. There are only two options: either a left-wing government with internal contradictions, with a right-wing fig leaf, in stark contrast to the promises that Bennett made in the election and against the will of the public, or direct elections for the formation of a stable right-wing government. With this we get out of the mess and will not need other solutions either."