Gantz, Ya'alon merger not expected to induce further political bonds

The heads of the parties who might still join up with Benny Gantz reacted to his first political speech and his agreement with Moshe Ya’alon in different ways.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Updated: JANUARY 31, 2019 02:55
Benny Gantz (R) and Moshe Ya'alon (L) at a event in Tel Aviv, January 29th, 2019 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Benny Gantz (R) and Moshe Ya'alon (L) at a event in Tel Aviv, January 29th, 2019
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Tuesday’s agreement between former IDF chiefs of staff Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon to have their parties run together in the April 9 election will not be followed by further political bonds until before the February 21 deadline, sources in both parties said on Wednesday.
Gantz’s Israel Resilience Party and Ya’alon’s Telem purposely reached a handshake deal ahead of Tuesday night’s maiden political speech by Gantz in order to have Ya’alon arrive at the end and strengthen their message.
Sources close to Gantz said that the deal was not even finalized yet and further political decisions would take time.
The heads of the parties who might still join Gantz reacted to his first political speech and his agreement with Ya’alon in different ways.
“[Gantz and Ya’alon] are good people with good values, and it is good that they are in politics,” Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said. “Theirs is a natural bond, and I wish them well. We don’t know yet whether we will join them. We might know only at the last minute.”
Gesher leader Orly Levy-Abecassis attacked Gantz on Twitter following his speech. She posted a video of Gantz speaking with Lapid’s voice uttering campaign slogans and even saying “We love Israel” in English.
“We have heard enough slogans,” she wrote.
She then posted a picture of her own party’s event in Petah Tikva on Tuesday night, and made fun of the “armies of copywriters and advisers, pyrotechnics and applause on cue” at Gantz’s event.
“The public is thirsty for political bonds, and we bond with them every night,” she wrote.
Ya’alon reportedly entered his agreement with Gantz only on condition that Hatnua leader Tzipi Livni would not be allowed to join. Neither side is interested in an agreement with the Labor Party.
Labor MK Stav Shaffir called on Gantz to run with her party. But opposition leader Shelly Yacimovich of Labor attacked Gantz on social media.
“Gantz said nice things, but he left open the possibility of being a minister in a government led by a man up to his neck in alleged crimes who destroys the rule of law for his own needs,” Yacimovich wrote of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “It is a shame that people who are fresh in politics, and who are supposed to bring a fresh new spirit, do not show courage.”
An agreement is still possible with former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi. But another former IDF chief of staff, Ehud Barak, is not expected to join. He praised Gantz in an interview with Israel Radio on Wednesday.
“Gantz started on the right foot, and he is new and cool,” Barak said. “It is important to get 61 MKs who say they want change, and I don’t see how that can be accomplished if the group around Gantz is not widened.”
Party leaders on the Right continued attacking Gantz. New Right leader Naftali Bennett answered affirmatively when Army Radio asked if Gantz was an awful chief of staff of the IDF.
“There is no chance I will sit in a government with Gantz,” Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman told Army Radio. “I don’t know why Ya’alon is considered right-wing.”


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