Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz officially announced Monday evening that he was withdrawing from the race for the 26th Knesset.
In a statement delivered at Kfar Maccabiah, Gantz explained that he had decided to withdraw his candidacy after failing to secure sufficient public support for his political approach.
However, he emphasized that he had not abandoned his belief that Israel needs a Zionist unity government supported by parties from both sides of the political spectrum.
Gantz opened his remarks by announcing his decision, describing it as a difficult step taken out of a sense of responsibility.
"With a heavy heart and out of a sense of responsibility, I have decided this evening to withdraw my candidacy for the 26th Knesset," he said.
"For almost 50 years, I have served the country as a soldier of Israel. I have never abandoned a battle, and in the battle for unity, I am not turning my back either."
He then addressed the political path he had chosen since entering public life, emphasizing that despite his decision to withdraw, he continued to believe in the principles that had guided him throughout the years.
"I still believe with all my heart in the path I have followed since my very first day in politics-a path of statesmanship and unity that places Israel above everything else," Gantz said.
He thanked his supporters and political partners but acknowledged that he had failed to persuade a sufficiently large portion of the public to support his positions.
"Unfortunately, at this time, I have not succeeded in convincing enough of the people of our approach-and the responsibility is mine," he admitted.
Alongside accepting responsibility for the political outcome, Gantz sought to clarify that his decision did not represent a change in his positions.
According to Gantz, the need for a government that brings together parties from different political camps remains unchanged, given the security and national challenges facing Israel.
"I remain convinced that our path is the right one. The need for a Zionist unity government that crosses political blocs is greater than any individual or party, and it is the only solution in the face of the challenges, dangers, and also the opportunities facing the people of Israel," he declared.
Gantz added that his decision to withdraw did not stem from abandoning his political vision, but was made while he still believed in the goals that had originally led him to enter politics.
A central portion of his speech was devoted to criticism of the political establishment.
Gantz argued that partisan and personal considerations sometimes outweigh the need to find common ground among different segments of Israeli society.
"I regret that at this time, in the political system, many see only themselves, and few see everyone," he said.
He then addressed the leaders of parties across the political spectrum directly, emphasizing that, for the first time in eight years, he was speaking to them not as a political rival competing in an election, but as a citizen seeking to influence the country's future.
"Do not take us back to October 6. Be brave enough to bring about real change. Put the old ways of thinking aside and do not surrender to the old politics of division," he urged.
Gantz also warned of the possible consequences of continued political polarization if party leaders failed to establish a shared governing framework.
"I warn you-if this does not happen, the people will continue to be torn apart, and we will end up with another election or, God forbid, a disaster," he said.
According to Gantz, Israel's political reality has become one that deepens divisions within society and makes it difficult to begin a new period based on shared responsibility.
He argued that most Israelis want to be part of a unifying national framework and that the country's political leadership must reflect that desire.
Later in his speech, Gantz returned to the events of October 7, 2023, and his decision to join the government following the Hamas attack.
He described that day as a moment when the State of Israel faced an existential threat and explained that he had chosen to join the national effort despite being aware of the potential political cost.
"At that time, when thousands of my people, my brothers and sisters, were massacred, hundreds were kidnapped, and entire communities were overrun, I chose to shoulder the burden," he said.
Gantz recounted that on the morning of the attack, he had already made clear to his political partners that his decision could exact a heavy political price. However, he said that consideration was not decisive for him.
"For me, every girl and boy who returned from captivity, every soldier who went into battle armed with faith in the unity of Israel-they are the ultimate measure of my actions," he said.
He added that he did not regret the decision he made at the time and would act the same way if he were to face similar circumstances again.
"Even this evening, I remain completely at peace with the most important decision of my public life. And if, God forbid, I am called upon to take such a step again in the future, I will do so again without hesitation," he declared.
In the more personal portion of his speech, Gantz spoke about the home in which he grew up and the values that accompanied him throughout his military and public service.
He described a family that carried with it the memory of the Holocaust and the story of national rebirth, and an upbringing that instilled in him the obligation to step forward and serve even during difficult times.
According to Gantz, that worldview continues to guide him even after his decision to end his candidacy for the Knesset.
He promised to continue working to bring together different groups within Israeli society and to build a shared future.
"My life's mission is to connect the different parts of Israeli society and help build a shared future, and I will do so in every way I can," he said.
Gantz also referred to the slogan "Our Strength Is in Our Unity," which accompanied Israeli society at the beginning of the war, emphasizing that he intends to continue working to ensure that the message does not remain merely a slogan.
Toward the end of his remarks, Gantz thanked his wife and family members for their support, as well as the members of his party's electoral list, his staff, activists, and supporters who had accompanied him throughout his political career.
"I am proud of each and every one of them for being partners on this journey-a path we followed not for the sake of a position or a ministerial portfolio, nor in the name of any particular individual, but in the name of and for the sake of the State of Israel."