Gantz refuses to quit Knesset race: 'I'm running until the end'

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz announced in a special statement that he has no intention of withdrawing from the Knesset race, despite claims that his party's candidacy could result in wasted votes. In his statement, Gantz insisted that he does not belong to either political bloc, presenting his decision to remain in the race as part of his effort to establish a unity government. "We are heading toward disaster. We must stop and save the country," Gantz began. "Politicians from both blocs oppose the unity that I am promoting with all my heart. They want a decisive victory. The divisions serve their political interests." "They are leading Israel toward another election, toward narrow governments that will tear us apart from within and cause our enemies to attack us again," he said. "I have decided not to surrender to our enemies. In order to fight our enemies, I must fight for unity among us, and that is why I am staying in the race until the very end." A significant portion of his statement addressed claims that voting for Blue and White could result in wasted votes. Gantz rejected those arguments, stressing, "I do not belong to either bloc. Anyone who claims that I am wasting votes is lying and is afraid. Anyone who votes for me is voting for unity, not for the blocs." "There are at least six seats' worth of voters who want to vote for us. To you, I say: You are not alone. Vote, and we will save the country," he said. He did not provide data supporting his "six seats" claim. Parallel to the announcement that it would remain in the race, Blue and White said it would launch an extensive campaign beginning Saturday evening and continuing until Election Day under the slogan, "Vote Unity, Save the Country." The campaign will appear on buses, billboards, digital platforms, and social media. Its central message will be Blue and White's position that a unity government is the necessary solution to Israel's political situation and that it is the only party on the political spectrum committed to advancing such an outcome. Through the campaign, the party aims to highlight the difference between Gantz's position and the struggle between the political blocs, presenting a vote for Blue and White as support for establishing a unity government. Gantz's central message, both in his statement and in the new campaign, is that he has no intention of abandoning the race because of political pressure or criticism of his party. As he emphasized in his statement, he believes the choice is not between the political blocs, but between continued political clashes and unity. "I do not belong to either bloc," Gantz reiterated. "Anyone who votes for me is voting for unity, not for the blocs."