Benny Gantz called for early elections in September

War cabinet Minister Benny Gantz made a statement to the press calling for early elections in September. In his opinion, they will allow to "continue the military effort" and avoid national division.

Gantz asked Israelis to "maintain unity" in his speech. "What is happening in the corridors of power and on the streets is dangerous and must be stopped. We cannot be indifferent to the fate of the families of the kidnapped, and it would be right to respond to their demand and cancel the parliamentary recess," said Gantz.

Benny Gantz also stated that "he will not be part of a government that does not take concrete actions to return the kidnapped. We want to bring them home, and this is not our weakness, but the source of our strength," he said.

Commenting on the clashes between protesters and police on the previous evening in Jerusalem, Gantz said that violence from either side cannot be tolerated. However, he noted that protests are legitimate, and the pain driving the demonstrators is understandable.