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Netanyahu’s war against the ex-generals

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks with the same strategy that worked for him in the past: depicting his rival as a "leftist."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech at the launch of his Likud party election campaign in Ramat Gan, Israel March 4, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC1F91530CC0
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a set strategy when dealing with anyone who dares challenge his leadership: He labels them “leftists.” He did it for the first time in 1996 when he defeated then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres with the unforgettable slogan “Peres will divide Jerusalem.” Since then, all of his rivals are “leftists” — a label that conveys to his right-wing electoral base the sense of danger the "leftists" pose and makes his base run to the nearest polling station to vote for him.

That is why it does not matter who is running against him in the April 9 elections. The very fact that someone is makes that person a radical leftist, as was the case in 2015 with Labor leader Isaac Herzog. These days, Netanyahu’s sophisticated apparatus is busy churning out spins attacking former Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz and his political partner Yair Lapid, who together head up the Blue and White party.

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