Benny Gantz. Photos Marc Israel Sellem. Credit Fusion
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing to feud with Benny Gantz, a former IDF Chief of Staff who currently serves as a minister without portfolio in Israel’s war cabinet. But when he previously served as the Minister of Defense in a Netanyahu led government the two clashed so much that the government was dissolved after less than a year.
The latest dispute between the two revolves around Benny Gantz’s current trip to the United States. Netanyahu’s people are griping behind the scenes that Beny Gantz failed to get the Prime Minister’s permission before making the trip. As Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu can deny any of his cabinet ministers permission to make such trips.
Benny Gantz’s office released a statement in answer saying, “Minister Gantz personally updated the prime minister on his own initiative on Friday of his intention to travel, in order to coordinate the messages to be transmitted in the meetings.”
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The current tensions between the two revolve mainly around the conduct of the ongoing Iron Swords War in Gaza. Gantz, as a former general, has not been happy with members of the government criticizing IDF leadership and even placing the blame for the October 7 massacre on the Israeli military.
Benny Gantz has no fondness for Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu cut him out of the loop most of the time when Gantz served as his defense minister. Gantz was a leader in the Knesset opposition for the first nine months of Netanyahu’s government’s current tenure. He only joined Israel’s special war cabinet because of the country’s emergency situation after the October 7 massacre.
While in the U.S., Benny Gantz met with the board of AIPAC – the America Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Gantz said that he “conveyed to the Board my profound appreciation for their important work, particularly since October 7th, in strengthening the alliance between Israel and the United States and combating distressing levels of antisemitism across America.”
The White House confirmed that Benny Gantz is expected to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris during the trip. Harris angered many in Israel with her recent call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
