Netanyahu, now chief of defense, consults with former IDF leader and probably his rival, Gantz

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met Wednesday with the former Israeli army chief of staff and possibly his future political rival, Benny Gantz, for "consultations on professional and defense issues" announced his office.

For the first time in his long political career, the quadripartite prime minister, who was also Foreign Minister, Minister of Finance, Minister of Health and several other positions, was appointed Israeli Defense Minister earlier. this month following his resignation. from Avigdor Liberman.

New defense ministers traditionally hold a series of consultations with their predecessors and former IDF chiefs of staff.

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Netanyahu has already met with former defense ministers Amir Peretz and Moshe Arens. He is expected to meet Shaul Mofaz, who was also IDF Chief of Staff, as well as former Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, in the coming days, according to the Prime Minister's Office. .

The meeting with Gantz may have been more tense than the one with the others, as Gantz is believed to be exploring a political career and polls suggest that his candidacy could have a dramatic effect on the political landscape of the Israeli center-left.

Sources in the prime minister's office said the two men had not discussed politics at Wednesday's meeting.

A Channel 10 poll released last week in which he was questioned about the possibility of Gantz running for his own party showed that the popular retired general would win 15 seats in the Knesset, two seats in Netanyahu's Likud, five from the center, Yesh Atid, and four from the center left Zionist Union.

Gantz said in closed forums that he would rather run for his own party than join an established party.

No recent poll has seen a list headed by Gantz beat Likud's top spot for the largest party, suggesting that Gantz's candidacy would be felt mainly by opponents of Netanyahu, but that it would probably not hurt much at all. the spirit of Netanyahu.