Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s worst nightmares came true on Jan. 29, as Benny Gantz, former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) chief of staff, became his number one election rival. Gantz defied preliminary expectations and exuded a persuasive presence, revealing his stripes as a true leader during a speech at Tel Aviv’s Convention Center. Television stations broadcast Gantz for 21 consecutive minutes in prime time, which for Netanyahu probably seemed like eons.
The speech was followed moreover by substantive televised discussions, highlighting the importance of the event. It all ended with an additional unwelcome surprise for the current prime minister: Another former IDF chief of staff is joining forces with Gantz for the April 9 elections. Thus, Netanyahu finds himself facing Moshe Ya’alon, his former defense minister and leader of the new party Telem, as well as his former chief of staff in Gantz on one ticket.
Gantz has his eye on additional connections and alliances. If he succeeds in convincing another former chief of staff, such as Gabi Ashkenazi, who also served under Netanyahu, to join his party, Israel Resilience, he’ll be able to offer a powerful security alternative to Netanyahu, something no one has done in ages. Such a development would make it even more difficult for Netanyahu to pull another rabbit out of his hat at the moment of truth, as he did in the 2015 elections when he inundated Israel with security threats and “Arabs on the fence” video clips with warnings of “Hamastan” on Israel’s borders. It was such tactics that brought him victory over Zionist Camp leader Isaac Herzog, who lacked his bulletproof aura.
Gantz has never been considered a charismatic individual, but what made the difference in his strong television appearance was his meticulous preparation, a speech heavy on slogans and messages and a complementary environment crafted with professionalism. From the prime minister’s residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, Netanyahu glimpsed the first real alternative to his own claims to the title of Mr. Security.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
