Netanyahu and Gantz
Netanyahu and GantzTomer Neuberg & Olivier Fitoussi/Flash 90

Channel 12 News reported on Friday that, just two days before the swearing in of the “government of a change” led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a last-ditch effort to thwart its establishment.

According to the report, Netanyahu's associates sent several proposals to Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz through a number of channels, with the common denominator being that Netanyahu is ready to resign as Prime Minister - so that Gantz can take office immediately, as per the coalition agreement signed between Netanyahu and Gantz.

The proposals to Gantz from a number of sources close to Netanyahu came within minutes and hours of each other, and the one offer came just after midnight on Thursday night.

According to the report, Netanyahu's associates told Gantz that "he is ready to resign this morning." Had Netanyahu indeed resigned, he would have become Alternate Prime Minister and served as a full-fledged Knesset member, making Gantz Prime Minister for three years.

Gantz rejected the offer outright.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)