Ganz Rejects ‘Only Bibi’ Politics, Says Unity Government Is Still the Goal

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz gave an unusually combative interview on Saturday to "Meet the Press," where he said Israel must not be trapped in a simple pro- or anti-Netanyahu framework. He insisted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must leave office, but argued that this alone is not enough and would not rule out a broad Zionist unity government if the public elects one. "Netanyahu needs to finish his term, but that alone is not enough," he said, while also declaring, "I am completely at peace with the big decisions I made."

Gantz said Israel needs to remain in Lebanon to prevent direct threats to border communities, but only in a smart and limited way, including control of key routes. He added that Netanyahu’s strategic mistake was failing to separate the Lebanon and Iran arenas, which, he said, has made the situation harder. He also criticized the former "change government," saying it failed to keep its agreements and led to a more extreme government.

Turning to the United States, Gantz argued that Netanyahu had damaged bipartisan support, saying Israel is losing Democrats and Republicans alike. He called on opposition leaders to help defend Israel abroad, suggesting Naftali Bennett travel to the US, Yair Lapid to Europe, and himself to the Gulf states, with Gadi Eisenkot also welcome to join. He said he would support the government on the Lebanon front, but not accept another narrow, extreme coalition.

Gantz repeatedly pushed back when challenged on whether he was effectively backing Netanyahu. "Where did you hear that I support Netanyahu?" he asked, adding that he thinks first about Israel, not about Netanyahu. He said he had twice been in politics against Netanyahu, entered the 2021 unity government, and later saw it collapse, which he said produced the current government. He also said Eisenkot wants to "decide a side," while he wants to unite both camps, and maintained that he is working to build a broad Zionist unity bloc.