Israel’s Gantz calls for dissolving Knesset, holding early elections amid judicial crisis

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Wednesday called for the dissolution of the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) to prepare for early elections amid a months-long judicial crisis.

“This government is not fit to run a country,” Gantz said in a statement.

“(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu should dissolve the Knesset and the State of Israel should go to elections that will allow the fusion of Israeli society,” he said.

Israel has been in political turmoil in recent months over a government plan to introduce judicial reforms seen by the opposition as a power grab in favor of the executive authority.

Netanyahu, however, insists that the reform would enhance democracy and restore the balance among the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government.

Gantz’s National Unity Party held closed-door talks with Netanyahu’s Likud Party in an effort to reach a compromise on a controversial judicial overhaul.

The two sides are reportedly close to agreeing on an 18-month freeze of all judicial overhaul-related legislation and to change a law that was passed early this summer, which revoked the “reasonableness standard”.

In July, the Knesset approved a controversial bill to limit the “reasonableness standard,” which the opposition says would curtail the powers of the Supreme Court.

The two sides are also expected to agree on keeping the Judicial Appointments Committee in its current format.

“It was proven that the State of Israel was captured by the extremists - while the moderates in the coalition are silent,” Gantz said.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara