Benny Gantz Announces Withdrawal From Upcoming Elections
Translated & summarized from Haaretz by baba
Benny Gantz, chairman of the National Unity Party, announced Monday he will not run in the upcoming elections, citing a desire to "fight for unity." The party has consistently polled around 1% and failed to pass the electoral threshold. Gantz's decision was met with support from Gadi Eisenkot and Yoaz Hendel, who urged voters to join their bloc. Recent claims of Gantz's strengthening in polls were disputed, with pollster Shlomo Filber clarifying his statements.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Benny Gantz announced he will not run in the upcoming elections, stating he will "fight for unity."
- The National Unity Party has consistently polled around 1%, failing to pass the electoral threshold.
- Gadi Eisenkot called Gantz's withdrawal a "correct and responsible decision" and urged voters to join their bloc.
- Pollster Shlomo Filber's claims of Gantz strengthening in polls were disputed by election data.
- Gantz's party previously held 12 Knesset seats but has seen most members depart.
Benny Gantz, chairman of the National Unity Party, announced on Monday that he will not run in the upcoming elections. "I will continue to fight for unity," he stated, adding, "It is the only solution that will prevent further disaster and protect Israel against all challenges from within and without." Gantz is expected to make a formal statement later in the evening.
The party has not passed the electoral threshold in recent polls across major media channels, garnering only about 1% of the vote. Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Reserve Soldiers Party, thanked Gantz for his withdrawal, calling it a "correct and responsible decision." Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the Reserve Soldiers Party, stated that "like on other occasions, today Benny Gantz did the proper and necessary act for the country." He urged "voters of the third bloc to join us."
In the previous Knesset elections, the list received 12 mandates as part of the "National Unity-Hosen LeYisrael and New Hope" alliance. After separating from Gideon Sa'ar, who returned to the government, Eisenkot left with Matan Kahana to form a new party. Later, Orit Farkash-Hacohen joined them, and gradually, almost all party members departed. Chili Tropper, Eitan Ginzburg, and Yael Ron Ben-Mose, some to other parties and others out of politics, left. Two remained with Gantz until the end: Pnina Tamano-Shata and Alon Schuster, who was placed sixth on the list at Gantz's request.
Over the weekend, pollster Shlomo Filber posted on X, formerly Twitter, that Gantz was "strengthening and has surprisingly passed [the threshold] twice in the last week." However, no poll submitted to the Central Elections Committee supports this claim. According to law, all poll data conducted within 90 days of election day must be submitted to the committee to ensure reliability and prevent public deception. The National Unity Party echoed Filber's remarks in an SMS message: "Pollster Shlomo Filber states: 'It is too early to eulogize National Unity.'" Filber's post garnered over 45,000 views on X, with additional views on Telegram and Facebook. Responding to Haaretz, Filber clarified, "I reported that he is strengthening, not that he is passing [the threshold]. I see a lot of raw material like all other pollsters. No interpretation is required for the report."
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