Defense and Justice Minister Benny Gantz addressed recent political developments Wednesday night.
"I made it clear that we needed a new government. If anyone had any shadow of a doubt, yesterday we received the proof. Netanyahu is first and foremost focused on his personal interests. Everyone would like to see Netanyahu leave the prime minister's office. I also want to be prime minister one day, and believe that it will happen. No one should perceive my stateliness as weakness, because it is not weakness," Gantz said in an interview with Channel 12 News.
He said, "Yesterday we had a difficult event that I hope is behind us. In the end, there is no possibility of anything other than a change government. Bennett and Lapid will agree, the change bloc will make decisions and form a new government. If they fail, the practice is that the mandate returns like before. I very much hope that we will not get there, because I do not want us to go to a fifth election."
Ganz refused to commit to not sitting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in one government, but stated that such a move "is not possible."
He stressed that he does not intend to give up the defense and justice portfolio in the government that will be formed. "I know what happened yesterday. The April plot turned into a real scenario. I hope my members of the change bloc saw that not only is there nothing to talk about, and especially no one to talk to. I told Netanyahu before and during the vote: I am the accepted candidate in the Ministry of Justice. I will demand this portfolio in the next government as well. It is important that I be the defense minister and it is important that the Ministry of Justice remains with Blue and White, so that we can continue to maintain democracy. I let other people be at the forefront because it is important that we form a change government."