Benny Gantz

Benny Gantz's withdrawal from the Knesset race has sparked intense political reactions. Change bloc leaders praised his responsible decision, while right-wing figures urged smaller factions to drop out to avoid wasting crucial votes.

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz announced he is dropping out of the upcoming Knesset elections despite vowing to run until the end just a week prior.

Benny Gantz has launched a fierce political campaign against former allies Avigdor Lieberman and Gadi Eisenkot, warning of potential coalitions with Arab parties.

As the Knesset elections approach, Benny Gantz opened up about the campaign's emotional toll in an interview, while recent polls show his party struggling below the electoral threshold.

MK Alon Schuster reportedly told Benny Gantz he may leave Blue and White before the elections if polls do not improve, while Gantz insists he will run until the end.

Acclaimed actor Lior Ashkenazi hints that the 2026 season of Eretz Nehederet will be his last, discussing his satirical role as Benny Gantz and predicting a political exit.

The leader of The Democrats party criticized President Isaac Herzog and warned against a post-election unity government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Benny Gantz warned that Avigdor Lieberman might engineer a post-election political maneuver to form a government relying on Arab parties, while advocating instead for a broad Zionist coalition including Likud.

Israel's first Democracy Festival at BIG FASHION Glilot brings together political leaders from across the spectrum for open public debates ahead of the upcoming elections.

National Unity leader Benny Gantz warned that ongoing political division could lead Israel to disaster, vowing to run independently in the upcoming Knesset elections despite poor polling numbers.

Shlomo Sharf, who lost his granddaughter in the October 7 massacre, sharply criticized state authorities during a memorial ceremony in Haifa, demanding accountability.

Former defense minister Benny Gantz addressed accountability for October 7 and political divisions in a radio interview on 103fm, warning that Israel risks fracturing if politicians fail to unite.

A social media user has been ordered to pay 90,000 shekels in damages to National Unity leader Benny Gantz for spreading false conspiracy theories alleging Gantz's involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack.

National Unity chairman Benny Gantz addressed voter concerns regarding the electoral threshold three weeks before the elections, urging hesitant supporters to cast their ballots.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz may condition his withdrawal from the upcoming Knesset elections on securing backing for a future presidential run ahead of his meeting with Gadi Eisenkot.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz revealed that Likud offered him a high spot on their Knesset list, an offer he rejected to pursue national unity.

During an interview on Keshet 12, TV host Avri Gilad candidly told Benny Gantz that television ratings numbers can personally hurt his feelings just like low political poll results.

A Lod court sentenced Alexander Granovsky to 13.5 years in prison for espionage, after he carried out tasks for an Iranian agent including photographing power stations and MK Benny Gantz's neighborhood.

Benny Gantz revealed on a podcast that he attempted to call Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Jewish New Year, but received no response from his office.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich challenged Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz to publish their own judicial platforms following fierce backlash over a controversial AI-generated reform campaign video.

Blue and White leader Benny Gantz rejected calls to withdraw from the upcoming elections, vowing to serve as a national arbiter to form a broad unity government.

An unusual incident occurred behind the scenes at Channel 13 when an employee confronted opposition leader Benny Gantz after an interview, calling him a disgrace.

Senior figures in the Israeli change bloc are mounting intense pressure on Blue and White leader Benny Gantz to withdraw from the election race over poor polling numbers. Critics accuse him of wasting public funds, while Gantz insists he will remain in the contest to pursue a broad unity government.

Blue and White submitted its candidate list for the 26th Knesset elections, requesting to keep the ballot letter Ken, with Benny Gantz calling for a broad Zionist government.

Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! party unveiled its 2026 candidate list in Rosh HaAyin, while Chili Tropper joined the ranks. Meanwhile, Michael Biton left Benny Gantz's Blue and White, which added Aliza Bloch.

Former Minister Yoaz Hendel warned of an impending election cycle following the dissolution of his political partnership with Chili Tropper. Hendel is currently holding talks with Benny Gantz and Ayelet Shaked.

Gilad Erdan's announcement of his withdrawal from the Knesset race highlights the decline of the third political bloc. The centrist alliance aimed to force a broad coalition on right and left-wing parties.

In light of low polling numbers and the collapse of talks with Benny Gantz, Gilad Ardan has announced that his Unity Party will withdraw from the upcoming election race. Party leaders, including Yuli Edelstein, stated that the public is currently focused on the identity of the next Prime Minister rather than a unity government. Gadi Eisenkot has called on other parties hovering near the electoral...

The «Achdut» and «Blue and White» parties will not unite ahead of the elections. Both parties are currently failing to cross the electoral threshold in polls, and analysts doubted that a joint list would succeed in overcoming the hurdle. Sources within Erdan's party remarked that some participants were seeking only media prominence.

While the mandate map reveals a turnaround at the top and the right-wing bloc strengthens to 53 mandates, the well-known former officer insists on running alone despite shaky data that places him in a particularly dangerous zone.

Brigadier General (res.) Dedi Simhi, who joined forces with Benny Gantz in the "Blue and White" party, declared on "Galey Israel" radio that he will not risk votes and will withdraw if the party hovers around the electoral threshold. "In the end, only one list will remain in the bloc," he emphasized.

The chairman of the Blue and White party stated on Channel 12 that he received offers for various positions outside the government and the Knesset. The former Defense Minister expressed his indignation at the attempts to persuade him to leave the political arena.

According to the latest polls, both the National Unity party led by Benny Gantz and the Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich are not passing the electoral threshold, but they will receive election funding advances in the millions of shekels.

Parallel to talks with Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz, the chairman of the "Ha-Achdut" party, Gilad Ardan, revealed that a joint run with Prof. Yaron Zelekha is on the table to fight the cost of living crisis. "We will accelerate the talks in the coming days."

Senior officials from Gadi Eisenkot's circle met with representatives of Benny Gantz to discuss high-level government roles, including head of the National Security Council. Gantz has reportedly declined the offers, and both sides have officially denied that the meeting took place.

Opposition sources offered the Blue and White chairman a series of future positions outside the government and the Knesset in exchange for his withdrawal, based on the assessment that Gantz will struggle to pass the electoral threshold: "We want to give him the opportunity to retire with dignity." Blue and White responded: "Gantz is continuing toward the establishment of a broad Zionist...

At a house meeting in Netanya, the Blue and White chairman was asked about a possible alliance with Chili Tropper. Gantz revealed that discussions are underway, alongside parallel talks with Gilad Erdan and Ayelet Shaked.

It has come to the attention of 'Hayom' that behind the scenes, Ayelet Shaked, former Minister of Justice and Interior, is working on mediation and connection between the parties. Also: what did Erdan say about a connection with Blue and White just three months ago?

Against the backdrop of stagnation in the polls, Yael Ron Ben-Moshe joins the list of those leaving Blue and White. She stated that current unity efforts might be counterproductive. Gantz is left with only three MKs.

Following the departure of Yael Ron Ben-Moshe, the Blue and White chairman is left with only three MKs. However, it has now emerged that mayors are working to recruit Pnina Tamano-Shata to the Likud.

MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe informed Benny Gantz that she will not participate in his new political framework. She described the decision as one of the most difficult of her life, citing a divergence in vision regarding the party's direction.

With 65 days until the elections, negotiations are underway for a new Haredi party involving Ofer Winter and Eli Yishai. Meanwhile, in the opposition bloc, a potential merger between Benny Gantz and Gilad Erdan is being discussed.

Against the backdrop of stagnant polling, the chairman of Blue and White and the leader of the Unity party have begun exploratory talks. Previously, Gantz held negotiations with Yuli Edelstein, who ultimately chose to join Erdan. Blue and White confirm: "We are talking to those who share the understanding that a broad Zionist government is necessary."

The multitude of parties, combined with the 'drinking' of mandates by Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud, led to the fact that 'The New Right' and 'Zehut' did not pass the electoral threshold. There is a great fear that even after the 2026 elections, a decision between the blocs will not be reached.

In political polling, the most critical question is often not just the accuracy of a result at a given moment, but the ability to identify a trend shift first. An analysis of Channel 14 data over the last two years reveals four instances where we were the first to record significant changes on the political map, while competing channels reflected a different picture.

The chairman of the "Democrats" party, Yair Golan, issued a sharp critique of Benny Gantz, claiming his past decisions saved the Netanyahu government. Golan labeled these actions an "unforgivable mistake" and suggested Gantz should retire from politics.

MK Alon Schuster of the National Unity party published a post challenging the strategy of his party chairman, Benny Gantz. While Gantz insists solely on establishing a "broad Zionist government," Schuster proposes a two-stage model: first remove Netanyahu, and only then establish a stable government.

A surprising meeting was held this week between a Knesset member from the Blue and White party and the chairman of the Zionist Reservists' Home party, against the backdrop of the political crisis in which Benny Gantz finds himself, as he has not yet succeeded in joining other bodies in the political system.

The April 2019 elections returned Israel to the era of two major parties, a battle that came at the expense of smaller factions and resulted in 8.6% of votes being wasted. Will another former Chief of Staff, Gadi Eisenkot, succeed in the 2026 elections where his predecessor failed in the battle to topple Benjamin Netanyahu?

The former head of the digital department of the Blue and White party has filed a lawsuit for 1.12 million shekels, claiming the denial of social rights, and is additionally demanding to impose attachments on the party for fear that it will not pass the electoral threshold.