Editor's Notes: Israel's election exposes deep political divisions after Gantz withdrawl - comment
Here is my request, the only one I’ll make before the polls open. Give yourself permission to notice one thing that complicates your choice.
Benny Gantz announced on Monday night that he would not run in Israel's upcoming election, as his Blue and White party had a dismal 1% in the polls, far below the 3.25% threshold needed to secure a seat in the Knesset. The veteran politician, who once came closest to replacing Netanyahu, had struggled to convince people of his path and had always identified as a soldier of Israel before anything else.
Gantz's rivals quickly praised his decision, with some suggesting his withdrawal was to prevent wasted votes for the left-wing bloc. Despite his lack of political finesse and his inability to articulate a clear ideology, Gantz endeavored to do the difficult work and joined Netanyahu's government in 2020 to end a year of deadlock.
However, his subsequent walkout over the conduct of the war led to criticism from various factions. The upcoming election reveals the deep political divisions within Israeli society, as people struggle to reconcile the actions of their leaders with their own values and experiences.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 2 other outlets
- Israel’s far-right Ben Gvir seeks new ground in election freemalaysiatoday.com
- Israel's far-right Ben Gvir seeks new ground in election al-monitor.com
