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Benny Gantz’s withdrawal of his Blue and White Party from Israel’s election has prompted warnings from right-wing leaders that smaller parties could split the vote, helping the left into power – though the move has been welcomed by other leaders as “responsible”.
Gantz announced his decision yesterday, just eight days before Israelis head to the polls, in a move welcomed by opposition figures seeking to consolidate support against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, and a former colleague of Gantz in the military, praised the decision as “correct and responsible”, describing the election as among the most consequential in Israel’s history.
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