Benny Gantz, Blue and White

Who is Benny Gantz?

Benny Gantz (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THEO FREUD/AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Benny Gantz
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THEO FREUD/AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Israel Elections 2019: Everything you need to know
  • Current MKs: 35
  • Poll position 29-32
While Gantz has been terse about his views on key issues, he vowed that there would be no more unilateral withdrawals from land and that a referendum would be held on evacuating any settlements.
Gantz has not said whether he would back a two-state solution. But he has said he would keep Jerusalem united and would not evacuate the Gaza Strip.
On security issues he has talked tough and vowed to take stronger action against the Hamas than the current government.
On matters of religion and state, Gantz praised an agreement reached about creating an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for breaking the deal.
If elected, Gantz has said he would build a coalition with Labor-Gesher, Yisrael Beytenu and Likud, but only after Likud would replace Netanyahu as the party’s leader. He has ruled out the Joint List on the Left and Yamina on the Right.
Gantz’s campaign has been marred by gaffes, including saying that the public is stupid, forgetting the name of murdered soldier Dvir Sorek and appearing to not rule out joining a Netanyahu-led government but then saying he did not hear the question.