Blue and White chairman, former IDF chief of staff and former defense minister Benny Gantz announced yesterday evening (Monday) at a press conference at Kfar Maccabiah that he is withdrawing from the 26th Knesset election, which will be held on October 27. Gantz took responsibility for his failure to garner sufficient public support for his party, but made clear that he would continue working to form a unity government. The announcement comes after months in which Blue and White failed to cross the electoral threshold in polls, and just nine days after he declared that he would run in the election until the end.
“With a heavy heart and out of a sense of responsibility, I have decided this evening to withdraw my candidacy for the 26th Knesset,” Gantz said at the beginning of his remarks. He emphasized that he was not backing away from his political vision, which is based on cooperation between parties from different political camps, but acknowledged that he had failed to persuade enough citizens to support his path. “Unfortunately, at this time, I have not succeeded in convincing enough of the people of our path, and the responsibility is mine.”
In his remarks, Gantz appealed to the leaders of parties from all political camps, calling on them to set aside their political disagreements and work to establish a Zionist unity government. He said that continued political polarization could lead Israel into another crisis. “Don’t take us back to October 6. Be brave enough to bring about real change,” he said. He warned that if the parties failed to unite around a common path, Israel could find itself facing another election or another disaster.
Gantz later addressed his decision to join the emergency government led by Benjamin Netanyahu following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. He said he had known at the time that the move could come at a significant political cost, but stressed that he would make the same decision today. According to Gantz, considerations of national security and the need for national unity were the basis for his decisions, even when they ran counter to his own political interests.
Gantz thanked his family, members of his party’s slate, party activists, and his supporters over the years. He made clear that his withdrawal from the election did not signal an end to his public activity, and that he intended to continue working to bring together different segments of Israeli society.
MK Schuster: “The Values That Have Guided Us Remain Unchanged”
The withdrawal comes amid a continued decline in the polls. In the latest opinion polls, Blue and White received the support of only about 1% of voters, well below the electoral threshold of 3.25%. In recent weeks, the party had been holding discussions about whether to continue its campaign, amid concerns that its supporters’ votes would not be included in the distribution of Knesset seats if it failed to cross the electoral threshold.
As recently as October 10, Gantz unveiled a new election campaign under the slogan “Choosing Unity, Saving the Country” and announced that he had no intention of withdrawing. In interviews he gave last week, he also maintained that his party would continue to run and expressed confidence that there was a significant constituency in favor of establishing a unity government.
Gantz had already hinted yesterday that he might withdraw soon. After host Ofer Hadad asked him at the Student Union’s election conference at Tel Aviv University whether there was a chance he would give up the race two or three days before the election, Gantz replied: “Not two or three days.”
MK Pnina Tamano-Shata of Blue and White said: “When there is concern that the list will not cross the electoral threshold, our responsibility is to allow those who trust us to choose someone who can represent them in the Knesset, even if that means giving up our own run this time.”
MK Alon Schuster of the party said: “Benny Gantz’s decision marks a significant moment, but the values that have guided us throughout our journey remain unchanged: responsibility for the existence of the democratic Jewish state, unifying statesmanship, and professionalism. The political reality is changing, but our commitment to the State of Israel, its security, and its future remains unchanged. This path does not end with a political decision. I will continue to act in the belief that we can and must build a better future here by choosing leadership that brings people together and offers stability and hope after four terrible years.”
Eisenkot: “The Right Decision”
Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reservists and the Economy party, said: “Today, as on previous occasions, Benny Gantz did the right and necessary thing for the country. I call on voters in the third bloc to join us. Now it is clearer than ever: the only way to establish a Zionist government is to vote for the Reservists and the Economy party.”
Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of Yashar, Gantz’s former political partner, who served as a minister representing Gantz’s party during the first eight months of the Swords of Iron war, said: “I thank my friend for his right and responsible decision to withdraw from the race in the most fateful election since the establishment of the state. I thank him for his longstanding contribution to Israel’s security and am confident that he will continue to contribute to Israeli society in the future.”
The Religious Zionist Party said: “Gantz’s withdrawal stems from his sense of responsibility to avoid losing votes for the left-wing bloc. By contrast, on the right, there is complete irresponsibility this time on the part of Ofer Winter and the other splinter parties that are nowhere near crossing the electoral threshold and insist on throwing votes away.”
Yair Lapid, chairman of Yesh Atid, also welcomed the decision and wished Gantz success in his future endeavors. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats, described the withdrawal as a responsible decision and emphasized that the parties in the change bloc share responsibility ahead of the election.
Gantz entered politics ahead of the 2019 election, following decades of service in the IDF, culminating in his appointment as chief of staff. He led Blue and White, formed a unity government with Netanyahu in 2020, and joined the emergency government established following Hamas’s October 2023 attack. In June 2024, he left the government over disagreements about the conduct of the war.
In recent years, his party has weakened, and several senior members have left it. His withdrawal from the upcoming election leaves Blue and White out of the Knesset race and brings the current election campaign to an end for someone who was once one of Netanyahu’s leading political rivals.