In NYT, Gantz says Western leaders recognizing Palestinian statehood aim to knock Netanyahu, ignore Israeli security

In a New York Times op-ed, National Unity party head Benny Gantz says trending recognition of Palestinian statehood in the international community may be aimed at repudiating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but in actuality, the moves are “a rejection of Israel’s bipartisan security consensus.”

Gantz, a former IDF chief who now leads one of the larger opposition parties, accuses foreign decision-makers of viewing Israel’s policies solely through the lens of whether or not it benefits Netanyahu, rather than Israel’s national security needs. “This view is mistaken and counterproductive to global stability, regional normalization and Israel’s own security,” he writes.

According to Gantz, who has shown more willingness to work with Netanyahu than many others in the opposition, even joining his war cabinet for a time, “opposition to the recognition of Palestinian statehood stands at the heart of [the Israeli] consensus,” a stance he maintains is “rooted in the hard realities of our region.”

Pointing to what happened in Gaza since Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005, he writes that the Palestinian Authority is not up to the task of state-building, accusing it of inciting violence and glorifying terror.

“Any path forward for broader Palestinian civil autonomy must first incorporate a proven long-term track record of accountable governance, comprehensive de-radicalization reforms and a successful crackdown on terror elements targeting Israelis,” he writes.

The former defense minister recalls being dumbfounded during a conversation with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over his “conceptual lack of understanding” of the difference between the challenges their countries face in dealing with terror. The episode “reinforced my understanding of the extent to which Israel’s security challenges are severely underestimated by the international community,” he writes.

Gantz also uses the platform to reiterate his stances in support of a long-term Israeli military presence inside Gaza along its perimeter, to keep Hamas from regrouping, and says “Israel must prepare to assume formal control over the strategic Jordan Valley in the West Bank,” claiming that both are needed to prevent a recurrence of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack.