Netanyahu Rival Gantz to begin His 28-Day Quest for the Prime Minister’s Seat

Although he has never held an elected position or governed on any non-authoritarian basis, Benny Gantz is 28-days and 61 seats in parliament from ending the Netanyahu era. Or not. Although Israeli President Reuven Rivlin is passing the baton to the former army chief-of-staff on Wednesday, observers for the most part won’t venture past calling it a fifty-fifty shot. In fact, after Israel’s second general election in a matter of months – the second necessitated because Prime Minister Netanyahu was unable to create a coalition amid the “anyone but Bibi” (his nickname) mentality, neither he nor his opponent wanted the president to give them first shot at building a government. Since that April 9 election, Israelis have been studying options available to Rivlin as he guides the process in a manner akin to solving the toughest puzzles. Perhaps one of the most interesting sub-plots of the 2019 election is the role Arab Israelis might play in its outcome. Those who run the numbers see a Gantz success only if he receives the backing of the “Joint List” – the amalgam of Arab parties. To the center-left and other liberal groups it’s the make-it-or-break-it scenario. To the political right, it’s an existential threat to the nation.