בני גנץ, יו״ר כחול לבן, על חילי טרופר ומפלגתו החדשה: ״מתקשה בזכוכית מגדלת לזהות את ההבדלים״

Yoaz Hendel and Hili Tropper announced last week the establishment of the 'Yasudot Yisrael' party, which according to the polls is expected to compete for the same segment of the population and votes that Benny Gantz's 'Blue and White' party wants to bring and recruit to it. MK Re. Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz, chairman of Blue and White, discussed the departure of his longtime confidant Hili Tropper and explained his doctrine on the importance of a national unity government at this time. Gantz referred to his friendship with Hili Tropper and responded to his departure in favor of Hendel: "We have been together for many years, I certainly appreciate the man, I have difficulty with a magnifying glass to identify the differences between what he says and what I say. Therefore, I believe that in the end, a way will be found to unite everyone and create a structure that will force the next government to be a broad Zionist government. I am not ruling out anything, I am talking to a lot of people, I am interested in the end result. The end result means that a Zionist unity government must be established, I'm telling you from our most painful places - we have no other solution. Look at what's on the agenda." On the possibility that he and Trooper will eventually unite under one political framework, he said: "There's nothing concrete right now. Didn't Yoaz join the Corona government with me? Wasn't Hili with me in the emergency government and other governments? Are we strangers to each other? Does it have to do with who's at the top? It could be. With all the respect I have for other people, as someone who was Chief of Staff and Minister of Defense, I carry many, many years of experience." On the feelings that came after parting ways with Tropper, he said: "My path and that of my people are filled with actions much more than words. When people walk with you through all the bumps you go through, they back up and then in the end turn left, then you can't be happy about that. But you still have to look at what the goal is and it's simple - to save the State of Israel. We can't afford a weak change government, a government that doesn't last, dependent on the votes of the Arab parties, we can't afford an extremist government that takes us from one place to another, this can't continue. The cemeteries are full of this disaster. We must establish a broad Zionist unity government that will serve the entire public with an agenda, Zionist, democratic, security, traditional. When this government is strong, the ultra-Orthodox will also be able to accept the arrangements they want to accept and must be part of, but they cannot control and neutralize an entire country. This is the clear truth, this is the truth I am fighting for and this is the truth I will achieve because we have no choice." "We must save this people - when it is weak from within, it will be attacked from without" He also expressed his opinion on the issue of blocs and did not spare criticism from those who stand out as the next candidates for prime minister: "The current government is fulfilling its days because it has no political choice, but I say that we have no other national choice. We must save this people. We are approaching Tish B'Av, and I remember what I said on Tish B'Av before October 7th, when it is weak from within, it will be attacked from without. We cannot afford internal weakness because this is a real security danger. A narrow government is the next trouble, a narrow government will lead to the next massacre, an extremist government is a great trouble that will leave the people of Israel as a people alone, only a Zionist government will succeed." In addition, he claimed that he is optimistic about the upcoming elections: "I am happy that many and others are broadcasting the same music and I hope that we are successful. I ran this route of Eisenkot, with 36 seats not in a poll but in the result at the ballot box, and it would not have been possible to form a government that did not rely on the votes of the Arab parties. And even when a single-party government is formed, in the end it is either a change government that is shaky and internally conflicted with an emphasis on the extremes and tears the government apart after a year or a government that unfortunately fulfills its days but look where it is going. I have a hard time remembering a single good bill that was put forward." Netanyahu? "I hope the public will show him the way out" Afterwards, Gantz addressed Prime Minister Netanyahu and the question of whether he would sit down with him again: "Netanyahu is wasting every good opportunity for true unity, I know this personally and unfortunately also personally of the public, he had an opportunity during Corona, in the emergency government, he didn't bother to preserve any of them. Beyond all other things, Netanyahu needs to finish his job, I hope the public will show him the way out. Of course I will show him the way out too, B...