Former IDF Chief of Staff (2011-2015) who entered politics in 2019 and today leads Blue and White-National Unity in the Knesset opposition.
Positions and record
- IDF Chief of Staff 2011-2015; commanded Operation Pillar of Defense (2012) and Operation Protective Edge (2014), defending Israeli communities from Hamas rocket fire on Gaza
- Founded Blue and White in 2019, contesting three elections against Netanyahu as a centrist statesmanship alternative
- Served as Defense Minister (2020-22) and Alternate Prime Minister (2020-21) in the unity rotation deal with Netanyahu
- Joined Netanyahu's emergency war cabinet after October 7 (Oct 2023 - Jun 2024) to project national unity, before exiting over war-aim disagreements
- Rebranded the faction back to Blue and White-National Unity in July 2025 after MKs Eisenkot and Kahana departed, positioning it as a consensus-building bloc ahead of the 2026 election
- Long-time advocate of demilitarized Gaza and a negotiated framework with strong Jordan Valley security guarantees for Israel
Cite this page
Benny Gantz, The State of Israel. https://thestateofisrael.com/mk/benny-gantz