Gantz brands current and previous coalitions ‘failures,’ while urging broad centrist gov’t

National Unity party head Benny Gantz calls for a broad centrist government that would bridge Israel’s political divide, rejecting both the current hard-right coalition and the previous “change government” as failures — and appearing to dismiss a center-left merger proposal put forward earlier in the day by The Democrats party chairman Yair Golan.

At the Berl Katznelson Foundation conference, Gantz says a 75-seat coalition representing “100% of Israelis” is needed to stabilize the country and tackle unresolved issues ranging from constitutional reform to religion and state.

Forming another narrow government — even with a slim majority — would only deepen the rifts in Israeli society, Gantz warns, calling instead for a cross-bloc consensus that would isolate extremists.

“I want to defeat our enemies and reach internal consensus within Israeli society,” he says. “The next election is about whether the Israeli majority can isolate the extremists and reach agreements across blocs.”

Gantz emphasizes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could not lead such a government, calling him “the father of division.”

“I humbly believe I am the best person to lead such a government,” Gantz claims, stressing that his plan “is not a political strategy to gain votes.”