Benny Gantz Quits Israeli Politics After Dramatic Rise and Fall
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Benny Gantz, a former IDF Chief of Staff and prominent politician, announced he will not run in the upcoming Knesset elections, ending his political career. Gantz entered politics in 2019, leading the Blue and White party to significant early success, but subsequent alliances and government entries led to fragmentation and a decline in support. Despite holding key ministerial positions, including Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister, his party's electoral performance dwindled significantly, with recent polls showing it far below the electoral threshold.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Benny Gantz announced he will not run in the upcoming Knesset elections, ending his political career.
- Gantz's Blue and White party achieved 35 seats in 2019, its peak electoral performance.
- He joined a unity government with Benjamin Netanyahu in 2020, a move that fractured his alliance.
- Gantz served as Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister in various governments.
- Recent polls showed his party polling at around 0.9%, well below the electoral threshold.
- Key allies like Yair Lapid, Gideon Sa'ar, and Gadi Eisenkot eventually left his political factions.
Benny Gantz, a former IDF Chief of Staff who entered politics as a major contender against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced on Monday that he will not run in the upcoming Knesset elections. This decision marks the end of a seven-year political journey characterized by alliances, splits, and government entries, ultimately leaving him without significant public support.
Gantz's political career began in 2019 with the formation of the Resilience for Israel party, which later merged with Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid and Moshe Ya'alon's Telem to form the Blue and White alliance. The party achieved considerable success in the 2019 elections, securing 35 seats and nearly 1.12 million votes, matching the Likud party. In subsequent elections, Blue and White remained the largest party but failed to form a government.
A pivotal moment came in March 2020 when Gantz agreed to join a unity government with Netanyahu, a move that broke his campaign promise. He served as Defense Minister and Alternate Prime Minister under a rotation agreement that ultimately failed. This decision led to the splintering of the alliance, with Yesh Atid and Telem leaving, and Gantz's party collapsing from 33 seats to just eight in the 2021 elections.
Despite political setbacks, Gantz remained a prominent figure, serving as Defense Minister in the Bennett-Lapid government. He attempted to rebuild a broader political base by forming the National Unity party with Gideon Sa'ar and others, which garnered 12 seats. Following the October 7th attacks, Gantz joined Netanyahu's emergency government, boosting his public standing temporarily, but he left in June 2024 due to disagreements.
Further fragmentation occurred when Gideon Sa'ar dissolved his partnership with Gantz in March 2024, followed by Gadi Eisenkot and Matan Kahana. Key figures like Hili Tropper, Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and Eitan Ginzburg also departed, leaving Gantz with a party that, despite its name recognition, lacked its former political power. Recent polls showed Blue and White polling at around 0.9%, far below the electoral threshold.
Gantz's political style, marked by a perceived difficulty in articulating clear messages, also contributed to his image. His career, which saw him as Netanyahu's main rival, a Defense Minister, Alternate Prime Minister, and War Cabinet member, was ultimately defined by shifting alliances and an inability to translate his initial promise into sustained political force.
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