Ex-general seen as main Netanyahu rival ahead of Israel elections
Former Israeli army chief Benny Gantz is emerging as the principal challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the upcoming elections. Polls show Gantz’s centrist National Unity party trailing Netanyahu’s Likud but gaining momentum as voters consider alternatives. The election, scheduled for November, could reshape Israel’s coalition politics and policy direction.
- ▪Benny Gantz, a retired IDF general, now leads the National Unity party and is positioned as Netanyahu’s main rival in the election race.
- ▪Recent opinion polls place Netanyahu’s Likud party ahead but show Gantz narrowing the gap, with both parties competing for centrist voters.
- ▪The election is set for November 2024, and the outcome will determine the composition of Israel’s next government coalition.
- ▪Gantz has campaigned on preserving democratic institutions and opposing some of Netanyahu’s proposed judicial reforms.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at South China Morning Post.