Blue and White Chairman MK Benny Gantz on Tuesday morning told 103FM Radio about the recent polls which show his party losing to the Likud.
"We will continue working to convince the public that this is a great danger to democracy," Gantz said. "[Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu cannot form a government and the price he wants in exchange for forming it is laws such as the 'French Law,' which we call the law of escape."
When countered with the fact that Netanyahu does not support the "French Law," Gantz said, "He's going to do it. It's like he went to ask for immunity and then rescinded his request. I don't believe that guy anymore. His only interest is himself and his own legal survival. I can understand that on a personal level, but I can't accept it on a diplomatic level, on the level of a public norm, and so I will do everything in my power to convince the public that they need to choose a new path."
He also said that he does not see the Joint Arab List as part of the center-left bloc: "I see the division into blocs on the basis of our partnership with all the - let's call them Zionist parties - which are not in the 'immunity bloc.' That includes Labor-Meretz, us, and Gesher. The Arab parties stand on their own, they serve a worthy agenda in the civil arena."
"We don't see ourselves as part of the Joint Arab List. They are MKs with equal rights and they will be in the Knesset. They are supposed to represent their public and they do it well on four counts. They do it completely wrong in the diplomatic-security arena, in our security battle, and therefore we have an issue with them in this area. The public needs to understand that we will be the largest [party]. We call for unity with the Likud, without the criminal who has three indictments against him, and in ten minutes it'll be over with. The people of Israel are asking for and want unity."
When asked outright if Blue and White would refuse to sit in a coalition with, or a coalition supported by, the Joint Arab List, Gantz said: "Yes, we said that."
Regarding the fact that Gantz did not succeed in forming a government when he had the chance, Gantz said: "I'm not any happier about that than the public is, and that's why I'm telling the public that in order for that to change, there needs to be one large party, that will be the largest, and it's called Blue and White. No other vote will solve the strategic issue facing the Israeli bloc."
"We want a unity government led not by Netanyahu but by Blue and White. Netanyahu can deal with his trials and do what the law allows him to."
Regarding whether his party would work together with the haredi parties to form a government, Gantz replied: "We will form a Zionist national government with liberal principles. We will decide the basic principles, which will honor Israel's traditions as much as possible and allow those who wish to keep tradition to do so as fully as possible, while allowing those who want to live their lives as hey wish to do so. It's time that people in Israel stop being against each other, and stand beside each other instead."
"We are working to win the elections, and I believe that even if it seems difficult, we will do it."
Regarding the investigations against his former company, which have not yet been opened, Gantz said: "I'm not naive and I don't see this as completely coincidental that the Justice Minister is pushing, and the Public Security Minister is pushing, and an investigation is opened on a certain date just before elections. At any rate, I respect the decision to open an investigation and I will cooperate with it by doing anything I am asked."
He added: "I'm not a suspect in anything and they have said that themselves. I will cooperate with the investigation. Someone is trying to pin crimes on me, and unfortunately the public may buy the story - that is what I am fighting against."
When asked if foreign sources might have information that they can use to blackmail him, Gantz said: "Friends, I am not up for blackmail, and no one will blackmail me - that's why I'm in politics. There is nothing that can be blackmailed and there is no security issue. What is on my phone is what you have on your phones. I'm not blackmail-able and if I were, I would not get into politics."