Israel Resilience party leader Benny Gantz broke his long silence on political issues for the first time on Tuesday night, although it's fair to say he still didn't say much in his polished inaugural speech. His first speech was supposed to elucidate his views on core issues, but when he finished speaking, the fog hadn't lifted.
His performance was better than expected, and Gantz was able to shed some of the blandness that has characterized him thus far. From a content perspective, however, the words were the same words, the message the same message. It was a general, simplistic speech; it could have been delivered by any of the center-left candidates and would have suited them all just the same – much like Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.
Because this is what it sounds like when a candidate is afraid of stating clear positions, and when "feft" has almost become a term of derision. They take one step to the right and two steps to the left, as Gantz did in his speech Tuesday. He spoke about striving for peace, but emphasized his security and defense experience; he intimated a willingness to make concessions, but looked at the leaders of each terrorist group in the eyes and threatened them directly.
When candidates don't want to say they intend to evacuate communities in Judea and Samaria, they duck and dodge and say they support the "large settlement blocs." When they try to obfuscate their willingness to implement a unilateral withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, much like the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip, they talk about protecting Israel as a Jewish state with strong security policies. And of course, they say that the Golan Heights is ours and Jerusalem will forever be our undivided capital.
Gantz's silence served him well. It stabilized him ahead of this speech, enabling him to say he was vying for the premiership without sounding like a clown. Gantz is banking on building momentum from this point forward. Lapid is still ahead of him in most polls, but the situation is fluid and could easily change. The media's embrace of Gantz could lead to a revolution in the center-left camp and pit the former IDF chief head-to-head against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Always in the right place at the right time
The attacks against Gantz from the Right and Left after his speech – some of which came before he even started speaking – bolster him and position him as the center-left camp's ultimate alternative. The atmosphere is understandable: They want to weaken someone who is starting out strong. Weak candidates aren't attacked, because they are of little consequence. If everyone is going after Gantz, his rivals evidently think he is a threat. For example, Labor leader Avi Gabbay wouldn't be treated this way, and the reason is obvious.
Gantz clearly prepared his speech well. His facial expressions, hand gestures and the three teleprompters he used all comprised an impressive display. But a few extra days or weeks of silence, which he could have utilized for more intense practice, could have resulted in a more refined and professional delivery. Even the choice of a low stage that protruded into the audience to create a sense of intimacy helped contribute to the message he wished to convey. The hovering camera and the rowdy activists completed the picture. It's just a shame that Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Yair Lapid all did it before him.
Whether Gantz can attract votes from the Right remains to be seen. In the meantime, Gantz's meteoric rise should concern the other center-left candidates, who were just leapfrogged on Tuesday. This list begins with Yair Lapid and includes Avi Gabbay, Gesher leader Orly Levy-Abekasis, Hatnuah leader Tzipi Livni and Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg. If a one-on-one confrontation emerges between Gantz and Netanyahu, the Israel Resilience party will become a magnet for voters, depleting their own parties.
Over the course of Gantz's long military career, he often wasn't the first choice for promotion. He had a knack for being in the right place in the right time and was always there when the dust settled. His appointment as deputy IDF chief of staff was a compromise between Ehud Barak and Gabi Ashkenazi, who backed Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant and Maj. Gen. Gadi Eizenkot, respectively. Similarly, he became IDF chief of staff as the default choice after Gallant's candidacy was torpedoed. And thus, perhaps, he will find himself at the helm of the center-left camp after other candidates either disappointed or faded. This is no trivial matter. It requires a certain type of skill.
