Blue and White leader Benny Gantz reacted to the announcement of Netanyahu's trial date by calling it a sad day for Israel and its citizens. 'On March 17, Netanyahu will lose his mandate and his trial will begin,' Gantz said at a rally in Rehovot. 'Netanyahu will deal only with himself. He cannot take care of the citizens of Israel.' Gantz said that as a former IDF chief of staff, he knows how important it is for a prime minister to be available at all times. 'Do you want a prime minister who goes on trial?' he asked the crowd. 'Netanyahu will go on trial and we will take over.' Netanyahu responded to Gantz in a Facebook live: 'I heard Gantz talk about a sad day for Israel. It will be a sad day for Israel if Gantz forms a government with [Joint List faction head] Ahmad Tibi.' Gil Hoffman contributed to this report
