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...
Jun 18, 2026
Lean Left
Mediates last-minute hostage negotiations but signals willingness to join an emergency government with Netanyahu.
Labor/Meretz are wary of his centrist positioning, fearing that any unity deal would legitimate the far-right's agenda rather than stop it.
Jun 18, 2026
Far Left
Gantz has threatened to leave the emergency government if Netanyahu does not present a post-war plan for Gaza by June 8.
Hadash is skeptical of Gantz's centrist positioning, viewing his threats as performative politics that ultimately enable the continuation of the war.
Jun 17, 2026
Center
Gantz launched a campaign attacking Netanyahu's Iran policy, with Likud responding by highlighting Gantz's past positions on Iran.
Yesh Atid sees Gantz as a credible security alternative and supports his criticism of Netanyahu's handling of the war and diplomacy.
Jun 15, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz is positioning himself as a unity alternative but refuses to join Lapid's protests.
Labor/Meretz are critical of Gantz for not breaking completely with the coalition's worst policies.
Jun 11, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz left the emergency unity government months ago and has been repositioning National Unity as the credible center-right alternative to Netanyahu ahead of anticipated elections.
Labor and Meretz respect Gantz's decision to leave the coalition but remain skeptical that his vision for a post-war Gaza differs meaningfully from Likud's in terms of Palestinian political horizons.
Jun 10, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz remains the central figure in the opposition's attempt to present a centrist-to-left governing alternative, and his National Unity party is the pivot point for any future coalition that excludes the far-right.
Labor and Meretz view Gantz with qualified support, seeing him as a necessary partner to remove Netanyahu but remain cautious about his commitment to democratic norms and his willingness to confront the judicial overhaul legacy directly.
Jun 7, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz, leading National Unity, continues to be a focal point of debate about whether opposition figures should join or stay out of an emergency government, following his earlier exit from the war cabinet.
Labor and Meretz respect Gantz's departure from the war cabinet as a principled stand but remain skeptical of his willingness to push hard enough for accountability and a genuine political horizon for ending the conflict.
Jun 6, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz, leading National Unity, has continued to pressure the government from outside the coalition after his dramatic exit, framing himself as a responsible centrist alternative to Netanyahu.
Labor and Meretz view Gantz with cautious respect but skepticism, noting his willingness to re-enter the war cabinet earlier gave Netanyahu political cover without extracting meaningful policy concessions.
Jun 5, 2026
Lean Left
Gantz and National Unity remain in opposition after leaving the emergency government, and are positioning themselves as the credible alternative centrist bloc for any post-war election.
Labor and Meretz regard Gantz with cautious pragmatism, seeing him as a potential coalition partner who is too centrist on civil rights but a necessary vehicle for removing Netanyahu from power.