Is Gantz really a danger to Netanyahu’s power in Israel?
Al Jazeera
The war cabinet member’s trip to the US has many wondering.
Beirut, Lebanon – Benny Gantz – the main opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a member of Israel’s war cabinet and the man touted by his supporters as the next prime minister – is in Washington, DC, invited there by the United States government.
Analysts have told Al Jazeera this is a result of its public frustration with Netanyahu and his far-right government, which is leading US President Joe Biden’s administration to turn to Gantz, a former military chief of staff and political centrist, as an ally and he is trying to build on that.
While Gantz may be using this trip to strengthen ties with US officials and capitalise on an Israeli political scene in which Netanyahu is increasingly unpopular, his stated aims are boosting support for Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians, and pushing for the release of Israeli captives, according to Israeli officials.
Gantz met US Vice President Kamala Harris, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Middle East envoy Brett McGurk on Monday and received “sharp and highly critical messages about the humanitarian situation in Gaza”, according to The Jerusalem Post.
He is scheduled for talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
