Gantz Warns Iran Deal Could Be a Strategic Mistake

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz said Sunday in an interview with 103fm that he is worried about the emerging U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement. The former defense minister argued that Israel has achieved major military and operational successes, but that they have not been translated into a broader strategic outcome. He called it a “strategic miss” because Israel, together with the Americans, did not fully leverage the gains against Lebanon and Iran.

Gantz said Israel must prepare for the coming years militarily as well, and insisted that for the next 60 days, “there is no comparison between Beirut and Tehran.” He said Israel should not depend on others when it comes to Lebanon and must act with “full force and independence.” He added that after October 7, “we cannot agree” to old assumptions, and said he explained that position to the Biden administration when it opposed entering Gaza.

Asked whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had bent to Washington’s pressure, Gantz said yes. He accused Netanyahu of changing Israel’s conduct toward the United States and of favoring Republicans over Democrats, saying, “We are the only Western democratic outpost in the Middle East,” and calling this a Netanyahu mistake.

On the upcoming elections, Gantz said Israel needs a different government built from Zionist parties on both the right and the left. He said the country’s internal divide is “killing us” and argued that the Zionist majority should lead. Speaking about his newly published book, he described visiting the Jerusalem book fair for the first time as an author, said the book draws on writings from over the years and conversations with his wife Revital, and noted that her illness led him to tell her story. He said some guilt was natural, but that he has learned to balance caring for Revital, his family, and the state.