Gantz, Netanyahu trample Basic Law with mind-boggling hutzpah

The formation of Blue and White brought together strange bedfellows, from the left and the right, whose shared goal was to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and to stop his Trump-like war against Israel's Gatekeepers, including Supreme Court justices, the attorney general and the police commissioner as well as others. The alliance was a success story. It wasn't strong enough to elevate its leader, Benny Gantz, to prime minister, but it proved sufficiently strong to block Netanyahu's attempts to form a new government after elections last April. Netanyahu subsequently dragged Israel into two more election campaigns, but they didn't change the political landscape.

In recent weeks, Gantz has faced a multitude of issues. He knew that Netanyahu’s caretaker government would remain in place as long as no new government was formed. He realized that a narrow government led by Blue and White and supported (from the outside) by the Arab Joint List would be impossible, because three members of his own bloc reject such support. Gantz therefore took the bold decision to break his major campaign promises and agreed to serve in a unity government under Netanyahu, who in a few weeks will appear in court to face serious criminal charges.