Poll: Benny Gantz, leader of ‘Israel Resilience,’ viewed as center-left

Benny Gantz is viewed as center-left by the Israeli public, according to a new poll carried out by the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

By David Isaac, World Israel News

Benny Gantz is viewed as center-left by the Israeli public, according to a new poll published by the Israel Broadcasting Authority and conducted by the TNS Institute. The poll’s results were released Wednesday evening.

Of those surveyed, 36 percent said the former IDF Chief of Staff and now leader of the new party Israel Resilience was politically in the center. Twenty-six percent said he is politically left and only 12 percent identified him as right-wing.

The poll also found that the Israel Resilience party would win 13 seats if elections were held today for the 21st Knesset, a drop of one seat, which according to the Israel Broadcasting Authority’s analysis is a direct result of Gantz speaking out against the Nation-State Law on Monday.

The Nation-State Law, passed in July, codifies certain Jewish aspects of the State of Israel and calls for the promotion of Jewish immigration and Jewish settlement. The law has been criticized by Israel’s minorities and others as being discriminatory.

It was the first time since announcing his new party on Dec. 27 that Gantz took a position on any political issue, preferring to maintain a studied silence. His refusal to say anything while enjoying high popularity in early polling had been criticized by other politicians.

Politicians to the right, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggested Gantz was firmly on the left. His position on the Nation-State Law lends weight to their accusations.

After the Israel Resilience leader declared his intention to do everything in his power to amend the law, right-wing politicians piled on, saying Gantz had finally revealed his true colors.

The official response of the Likud Party said, “When Gantz attacks the Nation-State Law and Tzipi Livni praises him about it, everyone knows the obvious: Gantz is left, exactly like Lapid.”

Tzipi Livni leads the left-wing party Hatnuah. Yair Lapid is the head of the center-left party Yesh Atid.

Yesh Atid saw the number of its seats decline in the poll to 10, three less than the last poll, suggesting that Israel Resilience is biting into Yesh Atid’s support.