Gantz Faces Pressure to Withdraw from Election Race

Senior figures within the "change bloc" are intensifying pressure on Benny Gantz, chairman of the National Unity party, to withdraw from the upcoming election race. They argue that Gantz is the "impeding factor" preventing the bloc from achieving victory. Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, clarified that the change bloc consists of only four parties: Yisrael Beiteinu, Together, Likud, and Democrats, and any vote for another party is effectively a vote for Netanyahu. Gantz has reportedly refused to commit to securing 61 mandates for his former senior partner, Eisenkot, or for the Prime Minister.

The change bloc is reportedly employing significant pressure on Gantz to withdraw due to his low poll numbers. A senior figure in the change camp accused Gantz of acting out of personal frustration over his political standing, suggesting that Gantz is unconcerned if Netanyahu continues as Prime Minister. However, a source close to Gantz vehemently denied these claims, asserting that Gantz's message of a broad unity government and consensus will ultimately lead to the formation of a wide Zionist government. "Nothing will help, Gantz is running until the end," the source stated.

MK Yulia Malinowski of Yisrael Beiteinu criticized Gantz's candidacy not only as "pathetic" but also as a waste of public funds. She argued that Gantz and others see the polls and know that the National Unity party has no chance of passing the electoral threshold, yet Gantz plans to spend 15 million shekels of public party funding on advertising. Malinowski suggested this spending is driven by personal whims and ego, and while not criminally illegal, it is a public "whitewashing" of funds, benefiting unspecified interested parties.

MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, number two on the National Unity list, responded by calling the efforts against Gantz an "anti-democratic attempt at mind engineering" by the change camp. She accused rivals in the opposition of trying to silence Gantz's "sane voice" advocating for unity and a broad Zionist government. Tamano-Shata also defended Gantz's financial conduct, stating that National Unity is the most upright party in this regard and that they are "running until victory."

In recent weeks, National Unity figures have warned that Gantz is leading the party to ruin, especially after his message that he would not complete the 61st mandate for a government under Eisenkot. MK Yael Ron Ben-Moshe, who recently resigned from the party, accused Gantz of harming the bloc, calling the scenario where some members refuse to join an Eisenkot-led government a "great risk and a bright red line." Some party members have reportedly considered issuing an ultimatum to Gantz, threatening not to continue if it becomes clear the party won't pass the threshold. These sources claim Gantz is holding party members hostage to his personal whims, demanding loyalty instead of allowing them to pursue new paths.