Israeli Elections: Has a Serious Rival Emerged for Benjamin Netanyahu?

For the first time during Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure as Prime Minister of Israel, a formidable and serious rival appears to have emerged in the country's political scene. 59-year-old Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, who served in the Israeli army for 37 years and was the Chief of Staff from 2011 to 2015, launched his election campaign in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, February 9. Gantz's presence, amid the continuous cheers of thousands of Israelis eager for change in the political landscape, alongside another prominent general, Moshe Ya'alon, who also served as Chief of Staff and held positions as Minister of Defense and Minister of Strategic Affairs, indicates the entry of a strong list into the upcoming elections in Israel. The entry of these two generals has significantly heated the electoral scene in Israel with 70 days remaining until the parliamentary elections. A few weeks ago, when Benjamin Netanyahu, following his failure to advance a bill exempting religious men from military service, reached an agreement with the leaders of allied parties in his government to hold early elections on April 9, he believed, according to polls, that even if the prosecutor issued an indictment against him in corruption cases, his high popularity would allow him to win the elections and continue his premiership. However, General Gantz, who had previously intensified his criticism of Netanyahu's government, ultimately set aside his previous doubts and founded the "Israel Resilience" party. In the first two minutes of his election speech on Tuesday night, Gantz attacked Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards, Hassan Nasrallah, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, two Hamas leaders, warning them that when he becomes Prime Minister, they will face someone who has spent about four decades of his life in the army. However, the majority of Gantz's first election speech was a critique of Benjamin Netanyahu without mentioning his name even once. Gantz stated that the current leader has turned military, intelligence, and security objectives into stepping stones for his own advancement; he reveals the country's most important secrets during prime-time television to present himself as a hero. Gantz's numerous references to Netanyahu's actions regarding Iran include the disclosure of information about Iran's nuclear documents and Israel's attacks on Iranian targets in Syria. Gantz accused the Prime Minister of fracturing society and attacking the police, the prosecutor's office, and all legal institutions because they want to prosecute him for alleged offenses. According to this newly emerging politician, Netanyahu's government has appointed individuals to ministerial positions who criticize culture and art for the government's objectives, disrespecting cultural figures and portraying Israeli media personnel as "enemies," even installing large photos of them on highways as "enemies." Gantz stated that when he becomes Prime Minister, he will amend the "Nation-State Law" to ensure the respect and rightful rights of all citizens of the country, regardless of their religion, faith, or ethnicity. He emphasized that it is unacceptable for Netanyahu to remain in office when an indictment is issued against him. Gantz pointed out that Netanyahu has lived for years like a nobleman, allocating the country's resources to investors and consortiums, while the youth of this country burn with dreams of having homes. He also stressed that his government would resume peace talks with the Palestinians and show necessary compromises regarding land. Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the ruling Likud party, was among the first politicians to attack Gantz, calling him a "leftist" and a "weak" individual. Reserve General Moshe Ya'alon, introduced as the second person in the "Israel Resilience" party, stated that this time the party would succeed in toppling Netanyahu's government. Former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak was one of the few Israeli politicians to praise Gantz, but he also noted Gantz's lack of political management and governance experience as a shortcoming in his record. Meanwhile, many of Netanyahu's supporters emphasized in various media interviews that Gantz is "inexperienced" and that his "newly formed party" would dissipate with a gust of wind; they cited the fate of numerous ad-hoc parties in previous elections as evidence. Some of Netanyahu's staunch supporters even accused Gantz of being temporarily in the public eye due to his tall stature, attractive appearance, and blue eyes, but when it comes to the test of experience in governing Israel, Netanyahu and the Likud party would again receive the most votes in the elections. Besides Likud officials and politicians, other right-wing parties have also attacked Gantz; alongside them, Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition party "Yesh Atid" (There is a Future), and Avi Gabbay, leader of the Labor party, have remained silent, having seen a powerful rival emerge. Commentators in Israeli media have noted that Lapid's heavy silence is due to his long-standing efforts to portray himself as the only option for defeating Benjamin Netanyahu, but now with Gantz's emergence, his calculations have been disrupted. Many commentators have also emphasized that Benjamin Netanyahu, with his extensive experience in garnering public opinion, will make the most effort in the coming weeks to navigate the prosecutor's investigations regarding corruption allegations against him while also presenting himself as a global leader. According to Ynet, Netanyahu has prepared to be one of the prominent figures at the Warsaw Conference on February 24 and 25, focusing on Iran, and in addition to speaking at this meeting, he will meet with Arab leaders. Numerous other trips have also been planned for him in the weeks leading up to the elections. On April 9, it will be revealed whether the 69-year-old Netanyahu, born into a prominent academic family and raised in America, will remain the only leader to have served five terms as Prime Minister of Israel, surpassing the tenure of David Ben-Gurion, the founder of the country, or whether a man raised in a rural home in the north of the country, who still lives with his wife and four children in a very simple house and has had one of the least controversial lives among the country's figures, will take over the leadership of the country.