Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz announced who would receive the senior ministries in his future government on an interview on Ynet on Monday morning.

“There are two issues that in my eyes are most important in the state of Israel, security and education,” Gantz said. “Therefore Gabi Ashkenazi will be Defense Minister and Moshe (Bogie) Yaalon will be Education Minister.”

During the interview, Gantz also claimed that in order for the agenda of Labor-Gesher and the Democratic Union to be carried out, he must be appointed the prime minister. When the interviewer asked him if he’s a leftist, Gantz answered: “I’m centrist. There are certain issues on which I’m right-wing, there are many issues on which I’m centrist, and there are certain issues that I can be considered left-wing – such as protecting the courts, institutions, Israeli culture and democracy.”

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded to Gantz’s announcement on Twitter by asking: “Which minister positions did you promise to Ayman Odeh (Joint Arab List) and Ahmad Tibi (Joint Arab List)?”

Blue and White leader Yair Lapid also responded to the announcement by writing: “Two simple questions: Who do you want against Hamas – the Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi or the one who transferred suitcases full of dollars to Sinwar?”

Lapid is referring to a series of Qatari cash payments transferred to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Some politicians, including Yamina leader Naftali Bennett and Yisrael Beiteinu chairman Avigdor Liberman have criticized Netanyahu for agreeing to the cash payments, describing them as “protection” money.

Lapid’s second question was: “Who do you want as Education Minister? [Yamina leader Bezalel] Smotrich and racism or a man of integrity of values like Bogie Yaalon?”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)