Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the
results of the Likud primaries to the 21st Knesset and
attacked former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, chairman
of the Israel Resilience party.
"I am very pleased that the Likud members have
chosen, in a precise and democratic way, a strong,
impressive list that is good for Israel. They also
voted for my proposal,” Netanyahu said.
"But the trouble is that Abu Mazen [Abbas] is also
pleased, because Benny Gantz said today that he will
carry out a second disengagement in Judea and Samaria
and Abu Mazen wished him success in the elections.
''So we must go together, win these elections and
prevent this. This is the real essence of the
elections: A leftist government headed by Benny Gantz
or a Likud government headed by me," the prime
minister added.
Netanyahu’s statements come after a spokesman for
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on
Wednesday said that comments made by Gantz seemingly
defending the Gaza Disengagement and expressing an
openness to future evictions of Jews in Judea and
Samaria were “encouraging, if he succeeds and he
sticks to this opinion.”
New Right Chairman Naftali Bennett later pushed
back against the PA response, claiming that
“Palestinian celebrations” were “premature.”
“The Israeli public will not again support someone
who proposes evacuating Jews from their homes, even if
he does so humanely and with sensitivity,” Bennett
said.
“After the elections, when the ‘Deal of the
Century’ for the establishment of a Palestinian state
comes, only one thing will be the deciding factor:
Will this be a ‘BibiGantz’ government or a
‘BibiBennett’ government?”
“Only a strong New Right will prevent the
establishment of a Palestinian state,” he concluded.