Former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz's Israel Resilience Party has put out four campaign videos on security and defense issues.
Three of the four videos focus on Gantz's achievements as IDF chief.
The fourth, titled "I don't want a generation to live here without hope," stresses the need for leaders to strive toward peace. The video features including one of of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with former PLO leader Yasser Arafat; an image of former Prime Minister Menachem Begin with former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat; and an image of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin with King Hussein of Jordan. In the background, Gantz says, "It's no shame to long for peace; it's not shame to work toward peace."
Gantz goes on to say, "Do we want to send our children to battle for another 25 years? No. Might we have to do that? It looks like it. What will we tell them? That we didn't do anything? That we didn't try? … I don't want a generation without hope living here, when everything could be different."
The New Right party, recently founded by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, formerly of Habayit Hayehudi, attacked Gantz over the campaign videos.
"Gantz has launched a campaign that brags about 'his successes' in Operation Protective Edge. Since we're talking about a life and death matter, about the future defense leadership of Israel, we have an obligation to present the truth: Benny Gantz fell asleep at the wheel when it came to the terror tunnels from Gaza, which also led to a terrorist catastrophe," the New Right said.
"We set out to destroy the tunnels not because of Benny Gantz, but despite Benny Gantz," the New Right added.
Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) said: "I watched the videos and I'm a little confused. Who was prime minister when Benny Gantz took out [Hamas terrorist Ahmad] Jabari, killed 1,300 terrorists, and struck 6,500 targets? … The Likud is responsible for the best security situation in the history of the state of Israel."
Joint Arab List chairman MK Ayman Odeh said, "It's lucky Gantz hasn't spoken until now, because the last thing we need are more campaigns that take pride in killing, destruction, and war. We've had enough of that."
Also Sunday, former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman launched the campaign for his Yisrael Beytenu party.
Lieberman has adopted a tactic of attacking the haredi public, Netanyahu, and Hamas, all under the slogan "Simply doesn't care," which is attached to the targets of his criticism: "Simply doesn't care about the haredim," "Simply doesn't care about Hamas."
"We are very much in favor of Judaism, but not religious coercion," Lieberman said Sunday at a press conference.
Lieberman spoke out against Netanyahu: "He did a feint, which is how Qatari fuel is entering Gaza. No trip to Africa can cover up the disgrace of a sovereign state buckling to a terrorist organization. Netanyahu has failed on security issues. A leader who always caves in and gets confused probably isn't in the right place."
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu party unveiled its own campaign slogan on Monday: "Why is Kahlon the only one looking out for your family?"
Kahlon is trying to position himself as a politician concerned with socioeconomic issues as MK Orly Levy-Abekasis' new party is nipping at Kulanu's heels in the polls.
In other election news, a new party representing the Ethiopian sector was scheduled to make its debut on Monday.
The party, headed by former MK and advisor to the prime minister on issues concerning the Ethiopian community Alali Adamsu, is called All Israel are Brothers for Social Equality.
The party platform focuses on containing racism and racial harassment; promoting equal rights for new immigrants; and activity to change the process of conversion to Judaism in Israel.
At No. 2 on the Ethiopian list is Prof. Michael Korinaldi, who has spent decades promoting aliyah by Jewish minorities from all over the world, including Ethiopian Jews.
