“Israel is not a monarchy with a royal family,” Gantz is expected to say.
By GIL HOFFMANUpdated: JANUARY 28, 2019 22:41Collage of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz.(photo credit: GALI TIBBON/POOL VIA REUTERS & MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz will sharply criticize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first political address at a rally of his Israel Resilience Party on Tuesday night at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds.Gantz will warn against continued corruption from Netanyahu in the speech and announce that he will not join a government led by anyone under indictment.“Israel is not a monarchy with a royal family,” Gantz is expected to say.He is also expected to come out in favor of limiting the premiership to two terms.A spokeswoman for the party said "over the past week, several speech versions were offered for the consideration of Israel Resilience by different representatives. One of the unauthorized drafts found its way to various media outlets."Israel Resilience revealed the party’s new song, which says “there is no more Right and Left, there is only Israel before everything.”Likud Knesset candidate Gideon Sa’ar responded that “Israel does indeed have a Right or a Left, and it is unacceptable to say otherwise, to pretend to have no views or to try to hide them.”It was unclear late Monday whether an agreement will be reached with former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon’s Telem party in time for the event. The main dispute preventing an agreement has been concerns of Ya’alon that Gantz will also make a deal with a left-wing party.Former IDF Brig.-Gen. Gal Hirsch officially announced the formation of his new party Magen at a rally in Rosh Ha’ayin Monday night, adding that he would ask for the Public Security portfolio.
