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Former Israeli military chief Gantz challenges Netanyahu's leadership
🇬🇷 Greece /Conflict & Security

Former Israeli military chief Gantz challenges Netanyahu's leadership

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Benny Gantz, former Israeli military chief and war cabinet member, is challenging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the October 27 elections.
  • Gantz's new centrist party, Yashar!, is polling competitively with Netanyahu's Likud, fueled by dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the Hamas attack and its aftermath.
  • The former general is leveraging his military background to challenge Netanyahu on security, a key area of the prime minister's traditional strength, while personal tragedy also shapes his public image.

Benny Gantz, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and ex-member of Benjamin Netanyahu's war cabinet, is emerging as a significant challenger to the prime minister. Ahead of the October 27 elections, Gantz aims to unseat Netanyahu with his new centrist party, Yashar!, whose name evokes "straight" and "honest" in Hebrew. The party has shown strength in polls, with some surveys placing it ahead of the ruling Likud party.

The new centrist party, Yashar!, whose name evokes 'straight' and 'honest' in Hebrew, has managed to pull ahead of the ruling Likud in several polls.

— PoliticoReporting on the electoral challenge posed by Benny Gantz.

Gantz's rise is largely attributed to widespread discontent over the government's performance before, during, and after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. The former general is directly challenging Netanyahu in the realm of security, an area where the prime minister has historically held a strong advantage. Gantz's personal background, as the son of Moroccan immigrants born in Tiberias, contrasts with Netanyahu's, and he has risen through the ranks from a common soldier to the head of the IDF, a position Netanyahu himself appointed him to.

This "man of the people" image is a significant part of Gantz's political appeal. Despite attempts by Likud to undermine him, including a campaign ad criticizing his English, his momentum appears undeterred. Adding a deeply personal dimension to his campaign is the loss of his 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Gantz, who was killed in Gaza on December 7, 2023, while serving as a reservist. His family also lost a nephew in the Gaza conflict. Gantz has not used his son's death as a political tool, allowing the personal tragedy to resonate within the broader national trauma.

Gantz's rise is largely attributed to widespread discontent over the government's performance before, during, and after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

Explaining the political context for Gantz's challenge.

The contrast between the Gantz and Netanyahu families has also been highlighted by critics. While hundreds of thousands of Israeli reservists were mobilized after October 7, Netanyahu's son, Yair, remained in Florida, reportedly volunteering. Netanyahu defended his son's actions, stating he was engaged in volunteer work in the U.S.

On December 7, 2023, his 25-year-old son, Gal Meir Gantz, was killed in an operation in Gaza.

Detailing the personal tragedy affecting Benny Gantz.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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