<p>Israel's Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday his party will vote for an opposition bill to dissolve parliament, a move that could force a fourth election in under two years.</p>.<p>Gantz's centrist Blue and White party is currently the key partner in a precarious coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud.</p>.<p>That coalition, which was only formed after three bitterly-fought elections between Netanyahu and Gantz failed to produce a clear winner, was plagued from the outset by in-fighting and recriminations.</p>.<p>Gantz, a former army chief serving as defence minister, said that Netanyahu's refusal to support a budget proposal made clear that the premier wanted to take Israel back to the polls.</p>.<p>In a televised address he said that Blue and White "will vote tomorrow in favour of dissolving the Knesset (Israel's parliament)."</p>.<p>Wednesday's vote on an opposition-backed measure is however preliminary.</p>.<p>If it passes, it will still require at least two additional successful Knesset readings before a new election must be called.</p>.<p>Shortly before Gantz spoke, Netanyahu released a video on Twitter in which he urged Gantz to vote against the measure.</p>.<p>"Now is not the time for elections," Netanyahu said. "Now is the time for unity."</p>.<p>The Netanyahu-Gantz unity government, agreed in April, was in part aimed at providing Israel desperately-needed stability following the worst political crisis in its history and as the coronavirus pandemic was gathering pace.</p>.<p>Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first half of the three year deal, with Gantz taking over in November 2021.</p>.<p>The deal included several provisions that would have automatically triggered the collapse of the coalition, including a failure to pass a budget.</p>.<p>Netanyahu's critics accuse of him of refusing to pass a two-year budget as a tactic to ensure he is not forced to hand over the prime minister's job to Gantz.</p>
<p>Israel's Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday his party will vote for an opposition bill to dissolve parliament, a move that could force a fourth election in under two years.</p>.<p>Gantz's centrist Blue and White party is currently the key partner in a precarious coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud.</p>.<p>That coalition, which was only formed after three bitterly-fought elections between Netanyahu and Gantz failed to produce a clear winner, was plagued from the outset by in-fighting and recriminations.</p>.<p>Gantz, a former army chief serving as defence minister, said that Netanyahu's refusal to support a budget proposal made clear that the premier wanted to take Israel back to the polls.</p>.<p>In a televised address he said that Blue and White "will vote tomorrow in favour of dissolving the Knesset (Israel's parliament)."</p>.<p>Wednesday's vote on an opposition-backed measure is however preliminary.</p>.<p>If it passes, it will still require at least two additional successful Knesset readings before a new election must be called.</p>.<p>Shortly before Gantz spoke, Netanyahu released a video on Twitter in which he urged Gantz to vote against the measure.</p>.<p>"Now is not the time for elections," Netanyahu said. "Now is the time for unity."</p>.<p>The Netanyahu-Gantz unity government, agreed in April, was in part aimed at providing Israel desperately-needed stability following the worst political crisis in its history and as the coronavirus pandemic was gathering pace.</p>.<p>Netanyahu was to serve as prime minister for the first half of the three year deal, with Gantz taking over in November 2021.</p>.<p>The deal included several provisions that would have automatically triggered the collapse of the coalition, including a failure to pass a budget.</p>.<p>Netanyahu's critics accuse of him of refusing to pass a two-year budget as a tactic to ensure he is not forced to hand over the prime minister's job to Gantz.</p>