Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s top rival, calls for early elections after protests in Israel

Gantz says government ‘must set a consensual date for September’ while Netanyahu’s popularity continues to decline amid the ongoing war in Gaza

Israeli minister Benny Gantz, a member of the war cabinet and main rival of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has called for snap parliamentary elections in September, as pressure builds over the war in Gaza.

“We must set a consensual date for the month of September, or if you prefer for the first anniversary of the war,” Gantz, said on Wednesday during a speech from his office in Israel’s parliament.