Blue and White MK Alon Schuster Opposes Party Campaign, Urges Removing Netanyahu First

Alon Schuster, a member of the Knesset and close ally of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, publicly criticized his party's election campaign on Wednesday. Schuster argued that the primary goal should be to remove Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from office before attempting to form a stable or unity government without him. This stance contradicts Gantz's "government of agreements" campaign, which does not rule out forming a government with Netanyahu if no clear election outcome emerges. Gantz has stated he will not concede the 61st mandate to Netanyahu or to his former political partner, Yisrael Beytenu leader Gadi Eizenkot.

In a detailed Facebook post, Schuster emphasized the critical choice Israel faces in the upcoming elections: advancing stable policy change while ending Netanyahu's tenure. He suggested that if both goals cannot be achieved simultaneously, removing Netanyahu should come first to facilitate forming a government with a significant Knesset majority. Schuster accused Netanyahu of failing to show leadership during difficult times and of systematically undermining public trust in state institutions such as the police, judiciary, IDF, Shin Bet, and free media.

Schuster further condemned Netanyahu for damaging liberal democracy, obstructing thorough investigation of the October 2023 disaster, promoting legislation encouraging draft evasion among ultra-Orthodox Jews, and mismanaging the national economy to benefit his political base. Meanwhile, sources within Blue and White report a complete disconnect between the party's MKs and its strategic team. Some MKs are reportedly unaware of the party's moves, campaign messages, or Gantz's direction amid ongoing coalition talks with other parties and candidates. For example, Dedi Simchi engaged in advanced talks with Gantz about a merger but kept the discussions low-key and remains open to cooperation with other parties.