Gantz drops out of Israel's election race

· Politics · Israel

Benny Gantz withdrew from Israel's parliamentary election race after polls showed his Blue and White party below the 3.25% threshold needed to enter the Knesset. The decision removes a prominent centrist challenger from a vote shaped by the Oct 7 attacks and the Gaza war, where former general Gadi Eisenkot's party holds a slight lead in some polls.

Why it matters：Gantz's exit narrows the centrist field, raising the stakes for the election and for efforts to unseat Benjamin Netanyahu.

Key points

  • Gantz's Blue and White polled below the 3.25% Knesset threshold
  • The election is shaped by the Gaza war
  • Gadi Eisenkot's party holds a slight lead in some polls

Sources (original reporting)

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