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Throughout his short political career, Blue & White leader and Defense Minister Benny Gantz was perceived as the nice guy of Israel's political system.
It wasn’t the occasional compliment or positive spin by those closest to Gantz either, but an aggressively marketed characteristic that was meant to serve as a counter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political scheming and overall questionable conduct.
From the moment he decided to enter politics in 2019, throughout three very ugly election campaigns, and until he decided to break his most solemn oath and sit with Netanyahu in the same government - he always had the benefit of being the nice guy, while Netanyahu and his brand of politics were considered “evil.”
That same premise worked in Gantz’s favor until very recently.
His "niceness" was the alleged explanation for his and his closest associates' political clumsiness.
His “niceness” also worked in his favor during the budget crisis, when Netanyahu and the Likud chose to blatantly and irresponsibly string the budget talks along in order to help Netanyahu avoid prosecution on his corruption charges.
His “niceness” also helped him when he and his party tanked in the polls. Because while he may not replace Netanyahu, he did lay the groundwork for a change in leadership.
During his time in that awful and ultimately failed unity government, Gantz and his party managed to torpedo several potentially irreversible and dangerous political moves.
This partnership between Blue & White and the Likud should have come to an end the minute it became clear its sole purpose was to prolong the coalition’s cumbersome rule.
This was the way Gantz and his party were supposed to be remembered. But no.
The fog of war is yet to dissipate, Israel is holding its fourth election in less than two years, and Gantz lost his one true asset.
The negotiations between Gantz and Netanyahu to prolong the life of a wretched coalition in exchange for a string of meaningless, blank promises marked the end of Gantz’ ethical high ground.
Gantz’s “niceness” meant nothing when he was again baited into a lengthy negotiations process with a rival that would not even give him the time of day.
His “niceness” meant nothing when he dispatched former justice minister Haim Ramon - known for his distaste for the State Prosecutor - to manage the negotiations regarding the current justice minister's authority.
Like any well written tragedy, Gantz’s political dalliance could teach a valuable lesson. Politics is not merely a string of clichés, and a solid agenda and good intentions are not nearly enough.
It’s about what you do, what you wish to represent with your actions, and how that inevitably shapes the lives of those you wish to lead.
Netanyahu knows this, would-be prime ministers Naftali Bennett and Gideon Sa’ar know this, even Gantz’s former partner and current opposition leader Yair Lapid knows this.
Gantz - a former IDF chief of staff with a long an illustrious military career - has proven he has no political sense, nor would he know where to steer the ship in the highly unlikely situation of him somehow ending up in the prime minister's chair.
His strength did not stem from his own positive traits, but from Netanyahu’s failings. The fact that he was willing to sign an agreement to prolong Netanyahu’s rule is both proof of this and the final nail in the coffin of this nice guy's political career.