Ex-IDF chiefs attack prime minister: ‘Time for Benjamin Netanyahu to go’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an unprecedented attack on Thursday by four former IDF chiefs of staff – including two who served as his defense minister – who accused him of fear-mongering for political reasons and harming the country.
The most recently retired chiefs of staff, Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi, have formed a movement called Pnima that will focus on attacking Netanyahu on domestic issues. While Pnima’s co-founder, former education minister Shai Piron, said the movement was apolitical, it could be used as a platform for Gantz and Ashkenazi to enter politics and challenge Netanyahu.
Gantz raised eyebrows on Thursday by joining a group of protesters from the periphery who are marching from the Negev to the Finance Ministry in Jerusalem, demanding fair allocations of state funds to local authorities. The group is led by Yeroham’s Labor Party mayor Michael Biton.