PA: Gantz is preferable because he's inexperienced
Meanwhile, the Likud Party is feeling a bit more secure after the latest polls showed a drop in the number of mandates Blue and White is expected to win.
By TZVI JOFFREFormer IDF chief-of-staff Benny Gantz, December 26th, 2018(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
The Palestinian Authority leadership has no clear preference between the left-wing bloc or the right-wing bloc in the upcoming Israeli elections, according to Israel Hayom.However, leaders in the Mukata presidential compound said yesterday in a conversation with the newspaper that the Palestinian leadership prefers Benny Gantz and Blue and White over another term by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because “we want to take advantage of the fact that he is a novice in politics.”The general opinion in the PA is that Blue and White and Likud are the same in essence. The PA is mainly focused on the polls for the Arab lists.Another official in the Palestinian leadership told Israel Hayom that in an evaluation of the situation which was recently conducted by the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, the clear conclusion was that the general preference is to see Gantz and Lapid at the head of the next ruling party in Israel, even though "we’re not talking about the leaders of Meretz and Peace Now.”The PA's preference of Gantz comes from enmity between the PA and Netanyahu and the right-wing government, and from the hope that a new government would further the diplomatic and political aspirations of the authority, including statehood. The PA hopes to take advantage of the fact that Gantz and other members of Blue and White are inexperienced with politics.Egypt and Jordan, on the other hand, do not necessarily prefer Gantz. Even though Cairo and Amman have no official position, officials in the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministries said that “Netanyahu is preferable because of security coordination and the fight against Iran and ISIS.” The officials said that due to coordination on security and other various regional issues such as Iran, ISIS, and the Syrian Civil War, relations between the three countries have improved on an unprecedented level, including in the security, civilian and bilateral realms.Meanwhile, the Likud Party is feeling a bit more secure after the latest polls showed a drop in the number of mandates Blue and White is expected to win.The drop occurred despite the indictment announcement against Netanyahu.
