PM meets Gantz, but doesn’t talk politics

Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with former IDF chief Benny Gantz on Wednesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson, but they did not speak about Gantz’s expected entry into politics.

The meeting took place as part of Netanyahu’s consultations on security matters following becoming defense minister. He has been meeting with former defense ministers and IDF chiefs of staff.

The prime minister met with former defense minister Amir Peretz and Moshe Arens and will meet with former defense minister Shaul Mofaz and former IDF chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi during the next few days.

Sources close to Netanyahu said the fact that the prime minister’s military secretary was present at all the meetings was a sign that they did not discuss politics.

But for political reasons, Netanyahu will not meet with two of his fiercest critics, former defense ministers Ehud Barak and Moshe Ya’alon.

Gantz’s associates said he would enter politics when an election is called. He has been keeping his political options open.

Gantz may run for the next Knesset under the banner of a new party called Achi Israeli that was formed in July by Yeruham Mayor Michael Biton and Haredi Women’s College founder Adina Bar-Shalom.

The Netanyahu-Gantz meeting was first revealed by Walla News political correspondent, Tal Shalev. A poll last week found that if Gantz ran as head of the Zionist Union, it would win 26 seats, and if he ran as head of a new party, it would win 19.