Gen. Benny Gantz declared “We will never relinquish the Golan Heights” as his 6-foot-4-inch frame towered over his bodyguards on a visit to the Syrian border last week. The former Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces has been steadily rising in the polls ahead of April’s general election. Having only made his first campaign speech in late January, the political novice is the first person in a long while to have a realistic chance of replacing Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s prime minister. Until very recently, the ruling Likud party seemed on its way to securing an extension to Netanyahu’s 10-year rule. Just as he seemed on track to win his fifth consecutive term, however, Gantz entered the race, declaring: “No Israeli leader is king. I thank Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his 10 years of service. We will continue from here.” In the last few weeks, just as Israel’s attorney general announced his plan to indict Netanyahu in three separate corruption cases, Gantz’s star began to rise, despite him not having submitted a single piece of legislation, never having fought an election or indeed ever conducted the delicate political negotiations that are critical for any prime ministerial contender. In an increasingly toxic political environment, Gantz has been able to position himself as a breath of fresh air, simply replying to the attorney general’s plans online with “Israel deserves better.” In December, Gantz established a new political party named Israel Resilience (Hosen L’Yisrael), but he only began to galvanize the Israeli public when the party later allied itself with Telem and Yesh Atid to form “Kachol Lavan” or Blue and White. The members of the alliance — an unlikely band of three former army chiefs, a few former journalists, two ex-Netanyahu aides, an outgoing labor union chief, a former deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, and various other centrists — have little in common politically aside from their common goal of dethroning Netanyahu. Though the party’s specific policies remain unclear, in appealing to the public on a centrist platform, Gantz has been able to bridge the divide between left and right that has long afflicted Israeli politics. In claiming that the corruption cases against him are merely a ploy “to topple the right wing and raise the left to the premiership,” Netanyahu has given Gantz space to occupy the center ground, appearing tough on security matters whilst simultaneously openly considering reaching a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Though Gantz’s opponents seek to profile him as a dove as opposed to a hawk on security matters, the general brings decades of experience to a job that has long been occupied by military characters. As the 12th chief of staff to enter politics (two have previously become prime minister), Gantz is able to use his nearly 40 years of military experience as evidence of his commitment to Israel’s security. In an increasingly toxic political environment, Gantz has been able to position himself as a breath of fresh air Zaid M. Belbagi No stranger to the outside world, Gantz attracted the interest of international observers at last month’s Munich Security Conference, when he called the Iranian regime “evil” and argued that the main challenges the West faces are “extremist Iran, Islamic terror, and regional instability.” During his service as Israel’s defense attache in Washington, Gantz was also deeply involved in strengthening US-Israeli defense ties, including efforts to guarantee Washington’s ongoing support for Tel Aviv’s so-called qualitative military edge. Such experience navigating Israel’s most important international alliance would be central to Gantz’s suitability for the premiership — an attribute that has not gone unnoticed by Israel’s political class. Though, under Netanyahu, Israel’s economy has prospered and its borders have remained secure, the recommendation to file an indictment against him for bribery has highlighted the deep-rooted malaise in the political system that has angered voters. Weary with a system that does not limit the tenure of prime ministers, the public have grown accustomed to abuses of power, given that both Netanyahu’s predecessors, Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon, ended their careers amidst financial scandal. As Gantz seeks to position himself as a new breed of politician, voters would do well to acquaint themselves with recent accusations of sexual misconduct against him, as well as the implosion of Fifth Dimension, a computer security and law enforcement technology company of which he was the chairman. Though it is unclear how these will go on to affect his campaign, to many in Israel they will be an all-too-familiar reminder of the hubris of the country’s leadership. The upcoming elections promise to be hotly contested. As Netanyahu denounces his subordinate-turned-political opponent as a closet leftist who poses a threat to Israel’s security and economy, he fails to see the transformation taking place in the country’s politics. Polls are showing that the Blue and White electoral alliance could finish up as the Knesset’s largest group and Arab states would do well to monitor its progress. Though Gantz seems to be broadly in favor of a two-state solution, he has never explicitly backed Palestinian statehood. In any case, a change of leadership would be an opportune moment to revisit the peace process of a conflict that seems increasingly forgotten yet simultaneously central to broader regional stability. • Zaid M. Belbagi is a political commentator, and an adviser to private clients between London and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Twitter: @Moulay_Zaid Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News" point-of-view