Benny Gantz is an Israeli lawmaker and current minister-without-portfolio, who currently leads the National Unity party.
He was born in Kfar Ahim, a moshav that his parents helped found. His mother was a Holocaust survivor and his father was arrested by British authorities for attempting to enter pre-state Israel.
Gantz was drafted to the IDF in 1977 and served in the 1982 Lebanon war. He also participated in Operation Solomon, a covert mission that rescued Ethiopian Jews in 1991.
After serving as the IDF's chief of staff, in 2018 Gantz announced the formation of a new political party, what would later become Blue and White. He would eventually become the country's defense minister before joining the opposition and then rejoining an emergency government due to the war against Hamas.
He earned a history degree from Tel Aviv University, a Political Science masters degree from Haifa University and a National Resource Management master’s degree from the United States National Defense University.
He and his wife, Revital, live in Rosh Ha’ayin.
A News 13 poll indicates National Unity Party led by Benny Gantz wins 30 seats if elections held today. Likud strengthens slightly; Yesh Atid receives 15 seats.
“At a time when our soldiers are fighting terrorist monsters, the intention to sanction a unit in the IDF is the height of absurdity and a moral low,” Netanyahu wrote in a post on X.
The survey also highlights a tightening race for Prime Minister, with Benny Gantz receiving 42% of the support compared to Benjamin Netanyahu's 37%.
The Prime Minister’s Office denied this report, calling it “the opposite of the truth.”
"The event is not over" MK Benny Gantz claims, discussing Iranian attack.
On opposite sides of the political spectrum, both Religious Zionism and the Labor Party have slipped beneath the minimum threshold to enter the Knesset.
This time around, Ben-Gvir may condition his remaining in the government after a hostage deal on a commitment by Netanyahu to push through Peled's appointment regardless of the National Unity veto.
“Half a year into a crisis with no end, when the only accomplishment of this government of messianists, draft-dodgers, and crooks, is its own survival," he wrote, "it’s time for soul-searching."
Gantz calls for September election amid protests; Netanyahu opposes, fearing Hamas advantage. Political shift could impact Gaza war resolution.
The Knesset can convene during recess under certain circumstances, but as of now Knesset will be heading out in the middle of a war, and without a hostage deal in place.
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