Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz claimed in a post on his Facebook page on Friday that he has yet not received an answer from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to his proposal calling for the establishment of a national emergency government.
"We are in the midst of one of the most complex crises that the State of Israel has faced. The most important national task at this time is to stop the coronavirus and not allow it to spread,” wrote Gantz.
“We have seen countries in the world that acted responsibly and curbed the virus, and on the other hand countries that have not taken the necessary precautions. I trust the medical officials in Israel, who are among the best in the world, to give the appropriate guidelines and call upon each and every one of you to obey the instructions. I know the steps sound drastic, but this is not the time to cut corners nor is it the time for complaints. If there is anything important that I have learned during my nearly 40 years in the service of the State of Israel in an IDF uniform, it is that in times of emergency and crisis, Israeli citizens know how to rise above all and join the effort."
"My friends and I in Blue and White are also planning to join the fight against the coronavirus, just as we have always enlisted for the State of Israel. Since the outbreak of the crisis, we have given full backing to the government's actions and we will continue to do so, whatever the developments in the political arena. Without reservations,” stressed Gantz.
“Yesterday, as usual, the Prime Minister approached me through the media and suggested that I join an emergency government. A government that he defined as one that fights the virus that does not distinguish between right and left, between religious and secular, and between Jews and Arabs. In a conversation I had with him afterwards, I told him that we would continue to back every move and that I suggest that our negotiating teams meet and discuss the need and possibility of establishing a broad emergency government for the near term. So far I have not received a serious reply from him. I am still waiting - because an emergency government is the right thing for the State of Israel at this time.”
Even if no response is received and even if no such emergency government is established at the end of the day, I intend to act responsibly. We will support every action of the government, we will assist in the Knesset in passing the necessary budgets and the painful steps that will still unfortunately come. I promise - even when it does not serve me politically, I intend to put Israel first," concluded Gantz.
(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.)