Netanyahu Challenger Talks Tough After Rocket Fire From Gaza

(Bloomberg) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top political rival said escalating rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip are intolerable, and suggested that the territory’s Hamas rulers are at risk of assassination.

Mixing hard-line security positions with a call for unity at the annual conference of the pro-Israel AIPAC lobby, former military chief Benny Gantz of the Blue & White party brought his campaign to unseat Netanyahu to Washington.

Gantz spoke the same day Netanyahu cut short his own Washington trip and appearance at AIPAC because of pre-dawn rocket fire from Gaza that struck a house in central Israel, wounding seven people.

“The reality in the south, as we unfortunately saw today, where Israeli children spend their nights in bomb shelters while the heads of Hamas celebrate, must end now,” Gantz said. “The heads of Hamas had forgotten what happened to Ahmed Jabari -- their chief of staff. They will get a personal reminder if they continue targeting our population.”

Israel killed Jabari, the head of Hamas’ military wing, in a pinpoint attack on his vehicle in 2012. That assassination was the first strike in an eight-day war.

Golan Pledge

Recent polls show Gantz’s bloc could win more votes than Netanyahu’s Likud party in April 9 elections, but the prime minister appears to have a clearer path to forming a governing coalition of center-right parties despite corruption allegations against him.

Gantz told AIPAC that Israel would never leave the Golan Heights or allow Jerusalem to be divided. Speaking after Gantz, Vice President Mike Pence said President Donald Trump will formally recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights on Monday when Netanyahu visits the White House.

Gantz also swiped at Netanyahu, saying “divisive dialogue” is tearing Israel apart, and pledged that a government he leads would have no corruption. Netanyahu faces potential bribery and fraud charges, according to a draft indictment presented by the attorney general in late February.

--With assistance from Glen Carey.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ivan Levingston in Tel Aviv at ilevingston@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Lin Noueihed at lnoueihed@bloomberg.net, Michael S. Arnold, Amy Teibel

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