Gantz: We might not achieve peace, but we must try

Former IDF chief Benny Gantz called Monday for renewed peace talks with the Palestinians, saying that even if negotiations were ultimately unsuccessful, it was important to try.

Speaking at a conference held in the southern town of Sderot by the Institute for National Security Studies, Gantz said that in order to calm the wave of terrorism a “policy of cooling off” needed to be implemented.

“It’s not just about taking security measures,” he said. “I don’t know if we will ultimately be able to reach a peace agreement, but I do know that the effort to reach certain arrangements is an important one.”

Gantz also defended Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip last year, calling it “the right thing to do at the right time.”

He both praised and criticized Israelis for their conduct during the military operation in July and August of 2014.

“The best part of Operation Protective Edge was the unity of Israeli society,” he added, using the Israeli government’s official name for the war. “The Gaza border communities stood firmly against all the challenges they faced. But within Israeli society, and I can say with a certain amount of criticism, the whining was worse than reality.”

The former army chief also addressed a recent spate of rocket strikes on Israel from the Gaza Strip, saying the uptick in attacks indicated that Hamas was attempting to recover its abilities after Israel dismantled much of the group’s infrastructure during the fighting.

He urged the government to strengthen periphery communities in the Golan Heights and those adjacent to the Gaza border, in light of the growing influence of the Islamic State terrorist group across the region.

Gantz also dismissed downplayed expectations that he will pursue public office.

“I only came (to this event) because I thought the invitation was appropriate,” he said. “I don’t intend making any other announcements,” he added.

Israel’s 50-day war with Hamas in Gaza last summer, which was fought under Gantz’s command, claimed the lives of 66 Israeli soldiers, six civilians, and a Thai agricultural worker.

The Palestinian death toll surpassed 2,100, according to Hamas officials in Gaza. Israel said about half of the Gaza dead were gunmen and blamed Hamas for all civilian deaths because it operated against Israel from residential areas, placing Gazans in harm’s way.

Earlier this year, the Palestinians formally asked the International Criminal Court to investigate Israel for alleged war crimes during last summer’s Operation Protective Edge in Gaza, drawing Jerusalem’s ire.

Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.