Expert: Arab World Sees Gantz as Ideal Candidate Against Netanyahu

Middle East expert Dr. Mordechai Kedar stated on Sunday that the Arab world views Benny Gantz as a weak figure compared to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, making him an ideal candidate from their perspective. Kedar explained that Arab nations recall Gantz's tenure as IDF Chief of Staff, specifically the "Gideon" multi-year plan which involved army downsizing, and his reluctance to enter Rafah. Conversely, they perceive Netanyahu as capable of leveraging the United States against Iran and believe he effectively advances Israeli interests through American support, thus instilling fear.

Kedar's remarks were made during an interview on 'Galei Yisrael' radio. He elaborated that the Arab world views Netanyahu as someone who can mobilize the U.S. for Israel's benefit, contrasting this with their perception of Gantz as weak. This perception of Netanyahu's strength makes him a figure they fear, while Gantz is seen as the preferred choice due to his perceived limitations.

Separately, Dr. Michael Milstein, a former head of the Palestinian arena in military intelligence, discussed the Palestinian Authority's election period on 103fm radio. He noted a high level of monitoring of Israeli elections within the Arab world. Milstein expressed concern about the normalization of the idea of transfer (population displacement) and anticipates significant turmoil in the West Bank in the 50 days leading up to the elections.