Unity Party leader Gilad Erdan announces withdrawal from election race

Unity Party chairman Gilad Erdan, a former UN ambassador, has announced he is withdrawing from Israel's upcoming 2026 election race. In a statement, Erdan revealed that the party had a low chance of surpassing the electoral threshold, and efforts to form alliances with other parties had not succeeded. He stated, "Despite the many efforts we made, the support for the Unity Party I established so far does not provide a high likelihood of crossing the electoral threshold, and the possibilities of joining with additional parties in the unity bloc are also not materializing."

Erdan believes that voters are mainly concerned about selecting a prime minister rather than his party's agenda of forming a broad unity government. Following Erdan's announcement, Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot praised Erdan's decision as "responsible and leadership-driven," urging other parties to follow suit and prioritize the well-being of Israel.