Israel has never had a defense minister whose expiry date, stamped on his forehead, was unrelated to the democratic process or elections. Lt. Gen. (res.) Benny Gantz took over as defense minister May 18. He will step down Nov. 17, 2021, to become prime minister under his rotation agreement with the incumbent, Benjamin Netanyahu. This abbreviated tenure will force Gantz to move quickly, adopt decisive measures and reshape events before his deadline expires. In other words, this challenging timetable will demand of him personality traits that he has yet to display.
As the 20th chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Gantz was known for his rather easygoing and calm demeanor, for being a team player reluctant to engage in conflicts and unnecessary adventures and for trying to avoid involvement in major upheavals. However, in order to stabilize his position and build up his stature to assume the premiership 18 months from now, Gantz will have to change. Gantz will have to display leadership of the kind he appears to lack: Tough, confrontational, determined. Gantz must learn to be Netanyahu, minus the criminal charges and political views. He will not get a second chance to leave a first impression.
At the May 18 ceremony at Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv marking his entry into office, Gantz met with the IDF chief, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, the General Staff of the IDF, senior Defense Ministry officials and many others. Gantz looked like a fish thrown back into the water, relieved of his suffering after desperately flopping about on land. The Defense Ministry compound in the heart of Tel Aviv is familiar ground where he spent 40 years of his life as a career soldier. His beaming smile was genuine, unlike those he displayed throughout much of his three election campaigns of the past 18 months, which fooled no one.
Despite his formal title as defense minister, Gantz will try to distinguish himself from Netanyahu in the diplomatic arena. No one should be overly surprised to learn of a clandestine call on Jordan’s King Abdullah in Amman or even a hush-hush meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh.
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