After several weeks of polling as many as 15 seats, but not talking, the former IDF Commander in Chief Benny Gantz announced that he would kick off his campaign.
Media personalities spoke about the prospect for days, with highlighted comments leading up to the event.
It was a great occasion. Shortly before the event, the announcement came of an agreement between Gantz and another former Commander-in-Chief, Moshe Ya’alon. They’d run together, and predicted that others would join them.
The event occurred at a key spot in Tel Aviv, and the audience was as organized as the speaker. Lots of noise, with outbursts seemingly orchestrated. The speech itself went on for more than a half hour, and was carefully crafted. It was followed with a shorter presentation by Ya’alon.
What we heard was a presentation of numerous ideas, not clearly left or right. The unity of Israel was front and center, along with Gantz’s admiration of the country. He announced his candidacy for Prime Minister.
He praised Netanyahu, but indicated that, if indicted, he should not be Prime Minister.
Gantz spoke of improving the situation of Gaza, but avoided the hot button of two states. He also spoke positively about Israel’s ethnic minorities, but did not attack the Nationality Law.
Neither was there extended comments about the Haredim. But there was repeated advocacy of unity– between right and left, religious and secular. One country, or perhaps one people was a prominent theme.
Immediately after he spoke, we heard media interviews with Naftali Bennett and the Likud Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan. Neither focused on the speech, but condemned Gantz as a leftist, a weak General, and chided the aspiration to move to the top spot without prior political experience.
Post-speech polls show Gantz with 21-24 Knesset seats, largely taken from parties closest to him. Likud remains with 20 to a bit more than 30, while Lapid, Labor, Livni, and New Right sink.
Yair Lapid did not speak in the first days, perhaps contemplating the prospect of joining Gantz, after deciding who would be the head of the ticket.
Lapid has led a party for close to a decade that has done well, but seems to have peaked. Maybe it’s time for him to recognize that prospects of a major ministry with Gantz is more realistic than a continued run for the big prize.
Orli Levi-Abekakis, and Avi Gabbay are also potential allies, along with Tsipi Livni.
Together they’d make a decent run against Netanyahu, especially if Bibi is tainted with an announced indictment for bribery and violation of public trust, with his wife also charged with a criminal offense..
It’s looking more certain that there’ll be indictments against the Prime Minister, and he’s continuing a sharp attack against the prosecution and media. To him, they are in leftist hands, seemingly overlooking that Bibi had appointed the chief prosecutor to be the Secretary of his Government, and then elevated him to be Legal Adviser of the Government.
The announcement will likely come this month, pending a hearing and subsequent decision that will occur after the election. Legally, the Prime Minister can continue until a final judicial decision, but there’ll be pressure to withdraw.
The Prime Minister has indicated his support and opposition to Knesset Members battling one another in this week’s party primary. Among his opponents is Gideon Sa’ar, who continues to support Netanyahu, and says that he doesn’t want to be dragged into a party fight.
Abu Mazan met with a delegation of Israeli business people in Ramallah, and is said to have sounded good. He said that serious negotiations would have to wait until after Israel’s elections; that each side would have to give up something; that security cooperation would continue even without a political agreement; and that we’re all concerned to defeat terrorists..
Against that we should remember his praise of terrorists and his payments to their families.
With 50 or 70 years of Palestinians inciting hatred of Israel, it’s hard to imagine a leader agreeing to make peace.
And his own hanging on to job and life makes us think that serious negotiations should wait for the next Palestinian leadership, after the commotion about change settles down.
In the US, there is continuing pressure against the President, and indications that Republicans in Congress are looking elsewhere for a solution in 2020.
Here there’s a lot for Benny Gantz to cope with. Let’s see if there are ongoing conversations that develop the ideas heard last week, or if he’ll run as a silent candidate for the position as Prime Minister.
A recent clip was not encouraging. It showed the candidate walking through Rishon L’Zion, along with a noisy (orchestrated?) crowd of cheerers, and making slight comments.
Is there anything more to his campaign?
Republished from San Diego Jewish World