Gantz to nominate himself as justice minister during Tuesday cabinet meeting

The cabinet will convene by Tuesday to discuss the appointment of a permanent justice minister, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refraining from committing to naming a candidate during the meeting, according to Hebrew media reports.

Netanyahu, in his response to the High Court of Justice plea to appoint a justice minister by Tuesday, confirms he’ll hold a cabinet meeting within the next two days but indicates the outcome of the discussion remains to be seen.

A short while later, Blue and White leader Benny Gantz tweets: “I will demand at the cabinet meeting that I be appointed permanent justice minister in order to continue to maintain democracy, and in accordance with the agreement signed with Likud.”

FILE – In this March. 11, 2021 file photo, an election campaign billboard for the Blue and White party, the opposition party led by Benny Gantz, right, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party, left, hangs on a street in Tel Aviv, Israel. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty, File)

“I will not give Netanyahu even a foothold. You do not need 48 hours for this, you can bring this to a vote within 48 minutes and stop violating the rule of law,” he says, in comments directed at Netanyahu, who is likely to strongly oppose handing Gantz the portfolio.

The High Court says that if the cabinet doesn’t appoint a justice minister on Tuesday, it’ll hold another hearing that same day on the issue, the Kan public broadcaster reports.