not everywhere· Politics· Updated 18:49

Gantz Drops Out of Election Race Amidst Political Downfall

On Monday, October 19, 2026, Benny Gantz, chairman of the Blue and White party, announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Knesset elections scheduled for October 27. The decision came just eight days before the vote, following a prolonged period in which his party consistently polled below the 3.25% electoral threshold, with some recent polls showing the party with less than 1% of voter intentions.

11 newsrooms · 3 languages · since 13:51

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Gantz Drops Out of Election Race Amidst Political Downfall — Illustration by baba

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What happened

01Benny Gantz announced his withdrawal from the upcoming Knesset elections on Monday, October 19, 2026, eight days before the October 27 vote.
02The Blue and White party consistently polled below the 3.25% electoral threshold, with recent polls showing less than 1% of voter intentions.
03All 39 Blue and White candidates must submit individual resignation letters by Wednesday to prevent their ballots from appearing in polling stations.
04Gantz stated he withdrew to foster national unity and, according to party sources, to prevent IDF soldiers from wasting votes on his party.
05Opposition leaders Gadi Eisenkot, Yair Lapid, and Yair Golan praised Gantz's decision as responsible and correct for the "change bloc."
06Right-wing politicians Gideon Sa'ar and Bezalel Smotrich warned of wasted right-wing votes and urged smaller parties to withdraw from the race.
07According to Channel 14, Gantz's withdrawal from the Knesset race may signal a potential bid for the presidency of Israel.

Gantz, a former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, stated that he will not run but will continue to fight for national unity, which he described as the only solution to prevent further disaster and protect Israel from internal and external challenges. Sources within Blue and White explained that the announcement was made early to prevent IDF soldiers from voting for his party when military polling stations open. To ensure the party's ballots are removed from polling stations and do not cause voter confusion, all 39 candidates on the Blue and White slate must submit individual resignation letters to the Central Elections Committee by Wednesday.

Political reactions to Gantz's withdrawal were swift and divided. Leaders of the "change bloc," including Yashar party chairman Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and Democrats chairman Yair Golan, praised the decision as responsible and correct for consolidating the bloc. Conversely, right-wing politicians expressed alarm; Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar and Bezalel Smotrich warned of wasted votes on smaller right-wing parties and urged them to follow Gantz's example, though Ofer Winter's People of Israel party stated it would continue its campaign. Meanwhile, Channel 14 reported that Gantz may be aiming to run for the presidency of Israel.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 10 newsrooms. Updated 18:37