Benny Gantz
Benjamin "Benny" Gantz is an Israeli politician and retired army general. He served as a minister without portfolio from 2023 to 2024, as the minister of defense between 2020 and 2022, and as deputy prime minister between 2021 and 2022. From 2020 to 2021, he was the alternate prime minister.
Standing...
Stories...
Jul 10, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz attends security cabinet meetings, pushing for a hostage deal and post-war planning.
Labor/Meretz view him as a stabilizing force but fault him for joining the coalition, enabling far-right policies.
Jul 10, 2026
Far Left
Gantz's National Unity party is losing public support as it stays in the coalition without influencing war policy.
Hadash criticizes Gantz for lending legitimacy to a government that ignores his own stated principles.
Jul 7, 2026
Lean Left
National Unity head balancing his position as alternate PM with criticism of judicial overhaul.
Labor/Meretz see him as too cautious and reluctant to fully break from the coalition.
Jul 7, 2026
Far Left
National Unity leader Gantz joined the emergency government and has been involved in war cabinet decisions on Gaza.
Hadash regards Gantz as a former general whose security-first approach underwrites the same military policies that have led to mass civilian casualties, offering no break from Netanyahu's line.
Jul 6, 2026
Center
Gantz refused to publicly commit to not forming a coalition with Haredi parties, ending talks with Hendel.
Yesh Atid sees Gantz's reluctance as a strategic weakness that undermines opposition credibility.
Jul 6, 2026
Far Right
Gantz was unable to reach an agreement with Hendel and Simhi, reportedly over cooperation with haredi parties.
Gantz's inability to form a broad center-left coalition is viewed positively by religious Zionists who distrust his willingness to work with haredim and his centrist policies.
Jul 3, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz's National Unity party has held talks on potential coalition alternatives but remains divided internally.
A center-right figure whom Labor/Meretz see as too hesitant to join a unified opposition against the far-right.
Jul 3, 2026
Far Left
Gantz left the coalition but still supports the war, calling for a broader national unity government without the far-right.
Hadash views Gantz as a centrist who fails to challenge the occupation or offer a real peace alternative.
Jul 3, 2026
Center
Negotiating with Yoaz Hendel for a pre-election union, facing difficulties over Hendel's demand to split later.
Yesh Atid sees Gantz as a potential partner but is frustrated by slow progress in uniting the center against Netanyahu.
Jul 2, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz's National Unity party is caught between backing the war effort and demanding a more serious push for a hostage deal, fueling speculation about a potential split.
Labor and Meretz view Gantz as a centrist who has failed to break with Netanyahu's hardline policies, and they expect him to take a firmer stand for a ceasefire.