Benny Gantz Pulls Blue and White Out of the Race, Capping a Steep Political Decline

Benny Gantz announced on October 19 that his Blue and White party will not compete in the October 27 election, acknowledging that even though the party will still appear on printed ballots, any vote cast for it would effectively be wasted, according to a report by The Times of Israel. "I still believe with all my heart in the path I followed from my first day in politics, a path of statehood and unity that puts Israel above all else," Gantz said. "Unfortunately, at this time, I have not been able to convince enough of the people."

The withdrawal marks a dramatic fall for the 67-year-old former IDF chief of staff, who led major opposition campaigns against Netanyahu between 2019 and 2020 and once topped national polls as his chief rival. Gantz twice entered power-sharing governments with Netanyahu, decisions that steadily eroded his support base, and he later joined the wartime emergency cabinet formed after October 7, 2023, before resigning the following year over disagreements on the conduct of the Gaza war.

In the time since, Blue and White's polling numbers sank consistently below the electoral threshold, and many of Gantz's former allies defected to rival parties, including Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar, now one of the leading opposition forces heading into the election.

Opposition figures praised Gantz's decision to withdraw as the responsible move, while members of Netanyahu's coalition called on other struggling right-wing parties to follow his example rather than risk splitting the vote.