Day 720: Gantz, Former Minister of Defense: What the World Gets Wrong About Israel

A strong articulation of Israel’s current viewpoint can be found in a recent opinion piece by Benny Gantz, a former Israeli minister of defense and member of the war cabinet since October 7, 2023.  He argues that Israel’s security actions following the Hamas attacks are driven by strategic necessity, not partisan politics, emphasizing that the nation’s core security interests reflect a broad national consensus rather than the agenda of any single leader, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz stresses that the October 7 attacks constituted a strategic rupture, fundamentally altering Israel’s security calculus and necessitating a robust military response.

He rejects the growing international push for unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, asserting it would reward terrorism and undermine Israel’s security consensus. Gantz points to the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza and the subsequent Hamas takeover as a cautionary tale, arguing that the Palestinian Authority has failed to provide accountable governance, combat terrorism, or cease incitement against Israel. He insists that any future Palestinian autonomy must be contingent on verifiable de-radicalization and security cooperation.

Furthermore, Gantz outlines specific security requirements he views as non-negotiable, including a long-term Israeli military presence around Gaza to prevent Hamas’s rearmament and the formal assumption of control over the strategic Jordan Valley in the West Bank to prevent infiltration. He underscores that Israel’s security is not only vital for its own survival but also anchors regional stability, protects global interests like energy and shipping, and serves as a bulwark against Iran’s regional ambitions and the spread of radical ideologies.

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