Israel: Gantz says ready to fight for next election

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Tuesday he was ready to fight again in the legislative elections in March, despite his fall in the polls and defections from his Blue-White party.

This will be Benny Gantz's fourth attempt in less than two years to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been in office since 2009, from power.

Read also: Israel sinks again into political crisis

"I founded (...) Bleu-Blanc and I intend to continue with it"

, declared the Minister of Defense during a televised address, after the resignation of deputies and a minister of his party.

Benny Gantz, however, appeared to concede that he might not be at the head of the alliance that could replace Benjamin Netanyahu's current coalition, and thus would not become prime minister.

he said, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu and his formation, the Likud.

After three elections having placed them neck and neck, the two men formed a unity government in the spring which provided for a rotation after 18 months for the post of prime minister.

But Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud and Benny Gantz's centrist party failed to come to an agreement, leading to a dissolution of parliament last week and the announcement of a new election campaign.

By making a pact with Likud, Benny Gantz had already seen his party split, half of the deputies refusing to join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of embezzlement, breach of trust and corruption in several cases, charges denied by the prime minister .

The latest to abandon ship is Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, who has joined a centrist "The Israelis" party launched Tuesday evening by Ron Huldai, Mayor of Tel Aviv.

Benjamin Netanyahu is also facing the dispersal of his troops as he approaches his appearance in early 2021 at his corruption trial, the first in Israel's history for a sitting head of government.

Its former minister Gideon Saar recently announced the creation of his own formation, Tikva Hadasha (New hope, editor's note), on the right, and already credited with second place and 19 seats in Parliament, behind Likud (28 seats), according to a study published on Sunday by Channel 12 TV.

First in the September 2019 election, Bleu-Blanc is now credited with eighth place, with only five seats.