Blue and White chairman MK Benny Gantz issued a video statement to the citizens of Israel on Wednesday evening, in which he stated that his party would petition the Supreme Court over the recent goings on in the Knesset.
Earlier on Wednesday, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein halted the proceedings of the Knesset plenum in the wake of continued fighting over the makeup of Knesset committees.
Edelstein said that Blue and White was unwilling to accept his compromise proposals which could have allowed the Knesset to start working immediately and, as such, suspended the activities of the Knesset until Monday.
"We are in the midst of a health and economic emergency, at a time when we are all required to show personal and national responsibility. These days it is important for me to tell you that despite the fact that there is no functioning government in Israel, and despite all the background noise: On the issue of the fight against coronavirus we are all united as one person and for me this is also a significant and leading consideration in political conduct," said Gantz.
He noted that "alongside the health and economic problems, I know many of you are as troubled as I am - and rightly so, by the unchallenged and unprecedented paralysis currently imposed by Netanyahu and Edelstein on the work of the Knesset. It is an improper act that hurts every citizen and therefore Blue and White will appeal to the Supreme Court to intervene."
"It is important to understand," said Gantz, "that if there is no functioning Finance Committee, no budget transfers can be made to compensate for the coronavirus damage. If there is no functioning Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, there will be no one to oversee the surveillance of citizens. A committee that oversees the coronavirus crisis, as we intend to set up, will make sure for your that the activities are done right."
"A crisis, however big it is - must not result in the crushing of statesmanship and in the harming the will of the voter. The Likud does not have a majority in the Knesset and therefore it closes it - we will not allow it. The Knesset is always a vital institution and the same is true in an emergency. It is impossible and wrong to manage a crisis of this magnitude without a functioning Knesset. We face a great challenge today - and the people of Israel have always faced the big challenges while united. Listen to the instructions, help each other, and we will also get through this crisis together," concluded the Blue and White chairman.