Benny Gantz addressed a press conference held by Prime Minister Netanyahu's invitation: "Gantz is afraid of a confrontation and he knows why - Israel needs a strong leader and not a coward"

• Benny Gantz at the press conference, today

Benny Gantz convened a press conference in Kfar Maccabiah today, addressing the elections for his future plans, Netanyahu's legal situation and the upcoming elections, of course. "Against the backdrop of the prime minister's trial date," Gantz began his statement, "I have come to talk to you today about legal norms and public morals. A defendant in bribery, fraud and breach of faith cannot serve as prime minister. Neither in the moral-value nor in the functional. Simple and clear.

Netanyahu invites Gantz to a confrontation // courtesy of the open studio Channel 20

"On March 17, the prime minister will lose the mandate and the trial will begin. On March 17, the prime minister's bench and the bench of the accused will pass. This is why he is ready to crush the state systems of Israel and, first of all, law enforcement systems. He has no borders and no responsibility for the State of Israel.

"Apart from the transgressions, he has appointed a justice minister whose entire job at this time is to hurt the court system and trust it. Let me make you a spoiler: The next ones will be the judges of the Jerusalem District Court.

"Now that we have been denied Netanyahu's immunity, he wants one thing - to form a coalition that will allow him to pass a law that will prohibit bringing a prime minister to trial. What he calls - the French law. Netanyahu enslaves an entire state to escape the law. So, I announce here that anyone who wants to go into government, I would like to sign a basic landmark document with a commitment to oppose any such initiative, and I urge all party leaders to pledge today that they will not give in to such a law, and the government and the Knesset will never become a haven for criminals.

"As prime minister, I intend to fight personally against government corruption - both in the normative and the operative aspects. Corruption impairs national security, the economy and society as a whole. I have charged MK Yoav Seglovitz who sits with me here, the former investigative division, to bring the next government a comprehensive plan for war. In government corruption, which is anchored on the basic lines.

Gantz is afraid of confrontation and he knows why. Israel needs a strong leader and not a coward. Israel needs a strong right-wing government and not a government that relies on the joint list. If Gantz is scared to come to a confrontation with the prime minister how he will meet the great challenges of the State of Israel. I repeat to Gantz: Come confront me.

- Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) February 19, 2020

"Among other things, a bill that I have already submitted to limit a prime minister's term of 8 years or two, so that the disobey and the lust of government will not do to anyone what they did to Netanyahu. We will do everything in two weeks - this evil spirit will become history.

When asked by Gantz about Netanyahu's call to him to come to the conflict, Gantz replied: "I will not come into conflict with Netanyahu - it's a spin. I don't work for him."

Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Gantz when he tweeted in his Twitter account: "Gantz is afraid of a confrontation and he knows why. Israel needs a strong leader and not a coward. Israel needs a strong right-wing government and not a government that rests on the joint list. If Gantz is afraid to confront the prime minister, how he will meet the biggest challenges Of the State of Israel, I repeat to Gantz: Come to confront me.