Gantz-ing Israel

I would like to start this article letting you know that I have no power of vote in Israel, and I might never have it, but somehow I ended up too involved with Israel and I cannot ignore the urge to let you know that you have been given this beautiful second chance to change your vote and go for Benjamin Gantz.

He was born in a Moshav the same year as my dad, 1959, and no bad person can be born that year — hopefully. He served as the 20th Chief of General Staff of the IDF from 2011 to 2015. He first had a party named Israel Resilience, but later he would join forces with Telem and Yesh Atid to form Blue and White.

He is married and has 4 kids. And he is actually good looking, and we all want a PM that not only does good things but looks good in the official photos. Aaaaanyway, I am going to give you 3 main reasons why you should vote for him, and if you can not vote, why you need to force your Israeli friend/partner to vote for him.

Bringing the country together

Gantz has this crazy goal of forming a coalition with more than just 61 seats, and in order to do that he is in conversations with different parties. From orthodox to lefties. He thinks he can make it work, so maybe we should support him for once, right? There is a gossip going around that some of Bibi’s supporters might leave him after elections and join Gantz.

Gantz not only has to win in the elections day, but he needs to convince the parties that will pass the electoral threshold of 3.25 percent to support him. He does not want to repeat Tzipi Livni story, as head of Kadima, in 2009. He has been having meetings all around, and has been adjusting his proposals and future plans to fit the country as one within their differences.

Rooting for a change

Unlike the current minister of education, Gantz is actually cool with people like me, non Jew foreigners, which is something important given the percentage of non Jewish/non Israeli people living or visiting Israel every year – many of them end up staying, and you definitely want to feel welcome in your new home.

His party also wants to introduce term limits for the PM and if a politician is indicted he/she will be barred from serving in the Knesset. Regarding what I said in the previous paragraph he intends to amend the nation-state law to include Israeli minorities (people like me, yay!) and to limit the power of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel over marriage (I am personally curious on this subject).

He also wants to invest in early education and expand health care. And by last but not least, he wants to re-enter negotiations with the PA for a peace agreement. He has the will for a new Israel, maybe we should give him that chance.

He is not Bibi 

Do not take me wrong, I have nothing against Netanyahu, I think he has done a fine job, but I also think it is time for a change. Have you noticed that when you are too comfortable in a situation, things are not done as good as they should? or that you ran out of ideas to implement? From my point of view, that is what is happening with Bibi. Side note: Gantz is not as self-centred as Bibi, he seems humble, unlike Bibi.

The Israelis have had enough of Bibi, he did good but the time for a change has come. It is time to clean the air and get a fresh start. Among the different parties and potential PM, Gantz has the winning hand.