Opposition leader Benny Gantz kicks off his election campaign, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of leading the country into “total chaos” and slamming his decision to call a national election for the second time in under 6 months as a “farce” and a “national joke.”

“We are witnessing one big farce, an outrage, a disgrace, a national joke worth NIS 4-5 billion ($1.1-1.4 billion),” Gantz charges during a Blue and White faction meeting in the Knesset.

“The citizens of Israel know we are going to elections only because [Netanyahu] wants to save himself” from criminal charges in the three cases open against him, he adds. “Netanyahu could have returned the mandate to the president,” thus giving another party a chance to form a coalition. “We would have formed a government. Why is he not doing that?”