Blue and White leader Benny Gantz used a heated interview on Channel 12’s "Meet the Press" to stake out an independent political line and reject the election’s "pro-Netanyahu or anti-Netanyahu" framing. He also aimed sharp criticism at both former opposition allies and his recent political partner, Gadi Eisenkot.
On the northern front, Gantz, a former commander of the Northern Command and the liaison unit in Lebanon, argued that Israel must continue ground operations to prevent a cross-border invasion threat. "We have to make sure there is no risk of infiltration and no direct threat to our communities and to the border," he said. "So we need to be in Lebanon, do it smartly, do it correctly, be in the right places and control the routes. But we need to be in Lebanon."
Asked about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Gantz did not rule out joining a future broad unity government, but insisted Netanyahu should leave office. "Bibi needs to go home ... he is responsible for what happened here," Gantz said, adding that Israel needs "a Zionist unity government" and not "a narrow and extreme government." He also blamed former partners from the so-called change bloc for collapsing the previous coalition through political boycotts, saying he had handed them the government they were fighting for and they "broke it," which led to "an extreme government."
A major part of the interview focused on Eisenkot’s sharp rise in the polls as his new party, Yashar!, surges while Blue and White falls below the electoral threshold. Gantz said their difference is that Eisenkot wants to choose one side and "go with the Arabs" to make that happen, while he himself wants to bridge between the two camps. He argued Eisenkot’s rise comes from focusing entirely on the anti-Netanyahu camp, while he pays a political price for moderation. Referring to his own past popularity, Gantz said, "I was the temporary messiah, I know this camp," and warned that civil strife is approaching, concluding that voters will eventually understand the need for moderate, unifying leadership and a broad Zionist bloc.
