Benny Gantz drops out of Israel's election race
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz announced on Monday that he will not run in Israel's October 27 election, after opinion polls showed his party falling below the Knesset threshold.
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz announced on Monday that he will not run in Israel’s October 27 election, saying he will “continue to work for unity”.
The 67-year-old former IDF chief of staff and former defence minister made the announcement just over a week before the vote. Opinion polls had consistently shown his party hovering below the 3.25 percent threshold needed to enter the 120-seat Knesset, Israel’s parliament.
At a press conference on Monday evening, Gantz took responsibility for his party’s failure to gain sufficient public support. “Unfortunately, at this time, I have not succeeded in convincing enough of the public of our path, and the responsibility is mine,” he said.
He called for a “broad Zionist government”, adding that he was speaking “not as a political rival but as a citizen of the State of Israel”. He closed with an appeal to Israel’s leaders: “Do not take us back to October 6.”
The decision drew reactions from across the political spectrum. Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot called it the “correct and responsible decision”, while Democrats head Yair Golan said the bloc had a “shared responsibility to ensure the victory of the change bloc”. Yair Lapid “congratulated” Gantz, calling the move “responsible and the right thing”. Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists and Economic Party, called on Gantz’s supporters to back his party instead.
Despite the withdrawal, Blue and White will remain on the ballot unless all of its candidates withdraw, meaning the party’s departure could still affect the distribution of votes in next week’s tight race.
Sources
- Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/10/19/benny-gantz-drops-out-of-israels-election-race
- The Jerusalem Post: https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912178
- The Jerusalem Post: https://fr.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912167
- Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-19/ty-article/.premium/former-idf-defense-chief-benny-gantz-says-he-wont-run-in-next-weeks-election/000001a1-5451-d2ed-a9ad-dcd526fe0000
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