Gantz: The public is not stupid

Compares crime in Arab sector to Chicago, Detroit.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz speaks at a rally protesting "attack" against Supreme Court (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz speaks at a rally protesting "attack" against Supreme Court
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI)
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz’s speech to his faction in the Knesset Monday was marred by gaffes that overshadowed his address itself.
Gantz complained about the taxpayer money wasted on holding two elections in four months, instead of education and welfare.
“Bibi, the public is stupid – not stupid,” Gantz said, correcting himself. [The public] is not mindless and it is not prepared to pay.”
While answering affirmatively a question about whether an Arab party could join a coalition led by him and changing his policy from the last election, Gantz tried to show sympathy for Israeli Arabs by bemoaning the amount of murders in their sector.
“It is unacceptable that it has become like Chicago and Detroit,” Gantz said.
When informed by The Jerusalem Post that such a statement could be offensive to the more than 10 million residents of the two American cities, Gantz said he accepted that his comparison could be seen as problematic.
“I didn’t intend to insult anyone, but it has been dangerous over there,” Gantz told the Post.