Before the election, Gantz vowed to form a government that would not include Netanyahu.[33] Initially an attempt was made to form a minority government with external support from the Joint List, however this initiative promtply collapsed as MKs Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Hauser announced they would vote against such a government, citing an electoral promise not to lean on the Joint List which includes "terror supporters" such as Balad. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Gantz reversed his stance and announced he was willing to support an emergency coalition with Netanyahu.[34] On 21 March, Netanyahu announced negotiations were completed for a national unity government with a rotating prime ministership where Netanyahu would serve first, and would later be replaced by Gantz, although Gantz denied this and claimed negotiations were still ongoing.[35] On 26 March, one day after Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein resigned, Gantz instead agreed to become Speaker of the Knesset.[36][37] The fact that right-wingers in Likud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition agreed to support Gantz's bid to become speaker put the future of the Blue and White alliance in jeopardy.