Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday the opposition is pushing for another election but his government will fight against it.
Israel has held three unprecedented elections in little under two years, with another national vote appears to be a possibility as the unity government spars over the structure of 2021 budget.
This drama takes place just two days before the bill to dissolve the Knesset is expected to be put to a vote in a preliminary reading. The bill is being promoted by the Yesh Atid and Telem factions.
"On Wednesday, the opposition will try to drag Israel into elections," Netanyahu said at the start of the Likud faction meeting. "The citizens of Israel need a government that works not for elections, not for politics, but for them."
The prime minister said his Likud party will vote against the legislation and "in favor of unity".
"Unity so that we can bring vaccines to all Israeli citizens, unity so that we can continue to fight coronavirus, unity so that we can provide more financial assistance to businesses, the self-employed, the public. Unity, so that we can continue to maintain security and unity so that we can sign more peace agreements. We have missions and we need to do them together."
Blue & White Chairman and Defense Minister Benny Gantz was supposed give a speech 15 minutes before Netanyahu, but canceled his statement less than an hour before it was set to go ahead. Earlier, Gantz said his party would advance a host of major laws on social equality this week.