Political earthquake in Israel – With one foot off the war council Netanyahu’s opponent, Benny Ganz

It looks like the time of a announced political divorce, as it was more sun apparent that its “hounds” did not match it. It may have been that the war immediately after Hamas massacre on October 7 made it necessary to establish a inter-party war council, but the differences between Netanyahu and Ganz simply temporarily suppressed, but did not disappear. So it was enough for Benny Ganz to visit Washington and London, unbeknownst to Benjamin Netanyahu, to put “burlotto” in Israel and bring to light the deep differences of the two men, at the time when international pressure is escalated towards Israel in front of the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. According to Yohanan Plesner, director of the Democratic Institute of Israel (IDI), a liberal think tank, this visit by Benny Ganz to Israel’s main ally “shows that his trust in Netanyahu is at the lowest point and that he decided to present another voice in Washington.” This visit caused great noise in Israel, where the centrist politician accepted the wrath of the ministers of Likud, the Netanyahu party. “ He acts behind the Prime Minister’s back, ” denounced Mary Regev, Minister of Transport, describing the visit as a ‘ subversive’. Ganz prepares his departure “… Tensions never disappeared” between the two men who “disguise one another, ” states Reuven Hazan, a professor of the School of Political Sciences of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Israel’s war council consists of five members. The basic three are Netanyahu, Ganz, and Defence Minister Joav Galland. According to Reuven Hazan, Benny Ganz made these visits to Washington and London to present himself as a future possible prime minister and especially to begin his exit from the government, which is considered “inescapable”. He is therefore trying to take advantage of Washington’s growing concern about the turn taken by the Gaza war, threatened by famine. American President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu are “in open war” . Washington is pushing the Israeli Prime Minister “not to continue on this road of mass civilian deaths in Gaza without knowing what he wants to do after”, the war, Reuven Hazan notes. Political bomb “Gants is not Netanyahu, he is closer to the position of Americans” for the post-war phase, says Israeli university. He is a “most co-operative partner” for Washington, “more open to dialogue with moderate partners in the region” and the role the Palestinian Authority could play in Gaza after the war, adds Johann Plesner. Last week, Benny Ganz welcomed the announcement of the reform of military service made by Defence Minister Joav Galland, so that the commitment to enlist also includes the ultra-Orthodox Jews excluded. The proposal fell like a political bomb in Israel. The media interpreted it as a sign of Joav Galland’s disobedience to Netanyahu, although they belong to the same party. In particular, the decision puts the Israeli Prime Minister in an extremely difficult position, while the two major parties of the ultra-orthodox Jews can overthrow the fragile government coalition at any time. Netanyahu tries to avoid at all costs the early elections, which instead benefit Benny Ganz. So far, Netanyahu had succeeded. But “if there is one issue that can bring about the collapse of the government coalition, this is the conscription of the ultra-orthodox, ” sums up Johann Plesner. Now, what remains for Ganz is to find the right time to leave the prime minister “showing that he is defending Israel’s interests” in the long term “and that Netanyahu is there only to protect his personal interests,” Reuven Hazan says.