Benny Gantz Criticizes Netanyahu for Political Manipulation at Eden Ben Zaken Concert

Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White party, addressed the controversy surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara attending a concert by Israeli singer Eden Ben Zaken at Menora Mivtachim Arena. Netanyahu's appearance at the event, where he took the microphone and gave a speech to the audience during the show, sparked widespread criticism on social media for turning a paid concert into a political event and led to calls for boycotting the singer.

In an interview on the Walla election podcast "Sari and Shlezinger," Gantz accused Netanyahu of manipulating Ben Zaken for political purposes, saying, "It seems Netanyahu did a little manipulation on her. To come, take a separate box, hold the microphone... it's not like he just popped into the concert." He contrasted this with his own experiences attending concerts by singer Shlomo Artzi, clarifying that he never disrupted the performances and only entered to calm the crowd or before the show started.

Gantz emphasized the difference by questioning, "What is the microphone and the speech and all that in the middle of a concert?" His remarks highlight the political tensions surrounding Netanyahu's use of cultural events during the election campaign. Supporters of Netanyahu had argued that other politicians, including Gantz, also received favorable treatment at concerts, but Gantz rejected this comparison.

The incident has intensified the debate over the intersection of politics and entertainment in Israel's heated pre-election atmosphere, with no indication yet of further developments regarding the concert or the singer's political stance.