In his maiden political speech on the evening of Jan. 29 at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds, former army chief Benny Gantz declared himself on live prime-time television as the prime ministerial candidate the center-left will support. Beyond the declarations and commitments to voters as he launched the campaign of his newly minted Israel Resilience Party, Gantz was aiming for a speedy knockout of the other wannabe prime ministers in the political center and on the left. He aspired to position himself firmly as the leading candidate among these parties as he takes on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on April 9.

In recent weeks, Gantz was courted by the chair of centrist Yesh Atid, Yair Lapid, who offered him the number-two spot on his Knesset slate, and by Labor leader Avi Gabbay. His appearance this week silenced all speculation that he might team up with anyone and made him a real threat to both parties. Some in Labor had believed they could depose Gabbay and convince Gantz to lead them. “If he says yes, Gabbay will not be able to oppose it,” a senior party figure told Al-Monitor at the time.

On Tuesday, however, Gantz left Lapid and Gabbay behind, taking up his position at the head of the anti-Netanyahu camp, and the media crowned him Netanyahu’s main rival. Lapid and Gabbay have the most to lose as he forges ahead of them in the polls, and they were silent the next morning as they worked to chart a new course.

Since establishing his party, Gantz has spoken little. Those who met with him in recent weeks got the impression of a total lack of political understanding. Until he broke his silence this week, some predicted that the former chief of staff would trip as he left the gate. Gantz, however, came well prepared for his first test. He donned a sharp suit and tie, in marked contrast to his usual casual appearance, and had obviously benefited from some serious coaching to hone his oratorical ability and stage presence.