Former IDF chief of staff Gantz 'not ruling out Likud'

Speculation continues as the popular military commander eyes his entry to politics.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Updated: MAY 8, 2018 05:02
Former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz (photo credit: REUTERS)
Former IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz told Army Radio on Monday that “would not rule out running with Likud,” saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party is a Zionist party, and he is not ruling out Zionist parties.
Gantz, who has a post-army cooling-off period that may prevent him from entering politics until February, is not expected to select a party until elections are called.
Despite not ruling out Likud, he also made statements that indicated he would join a party further to the Left.
Gantz downplayed Netanyahu’s favorite issue, Iran, by saying that “Iran lacks strong retaliation capabilities.” He also criticized politicians for speaking too much about the issue.
In perhaps another indication Gantz is not on the way to Likud, when asked to select a song for a program on the 70th birthday of the IDF, he picked “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu” (Peace Will Still Come to Us) by Mosh Ben-Ari and the band Sheva, which has a chorus of the Arabic word for peace.