‘Who Said I’m Even Part of Your Bloc?’: Recording Raises Fresh Questions About Benny Gantz’s Role
A recording aired by Israel’s Channel 12 on Wednesday has reignited debate over Blue and White-National Unity leader Benny Gantz’s political position, after he was heard rejecting identification with the opposition bloc while saying he is acting to ensure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completes his term.
In the audio, recorded during a private parlor meeting, Gantz challenges the premise that he belongs to the opposition camp. “Who said I’m even part of your bloc?” He asks. Moments later, he adds that he is doing “everything possible” to allow Netanyahu to finish his term.
The remarks landed quickly across Israel’s political system, not as an isolated comment but as a reflection of a longer pattern that has left Gantz increasingly hard to place within the country’s parliamentary map.
Gantz entered politics as a direct rival to Netanyahu. In 2020, he ran alongside Yair Lapid on a campaign explicitly aimed at replacing him. After the election, however, Gantz chose to join Netanyahu’s government during the COVID-19 crisis, arguing that the moment required stability over confrontation.
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When that coalition collapsed, he returned to the opposition. He later joined the Bennett–Lapid government, serving as defense minister, before once again campaigning from outside the coalition. Following the October 7 attack and the outbreak of the Gaza war, Gantz again entered a Netanyahu-led government, citing wartime necessity. He later resigned.
Against that background, the Channel 12 recording has sharpened criticism from both sides of the aisle. By openly distancing himself from the opposition bloc while expressing support for Netanyahu completing his term, Gantz appears to place himself outside the two main frameworks that define Israel’s parliamentary politics.
The timing has added to the impact. Blue and White has failed to cross the electoral threshold in several recent opinion polls, raising doubts about whether the party would enter the Knesset if elections were held today.
Internal strains have also become public. Former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot resigned earlier this year, followed by at least two additional lawmakers. Their departures further reduced the party’s representation and reinforced the sense of a movement losing coherence.
In the same recording, Gantz is also heard acknowledging that he does not see himself as part of the opposition, while ruling out a return to the current government. Critics say the position leaves him politically unanchored, despite having been elected as part of a clear alternative to Netanyahu.
“Gantz has said for countless opportunities that Israel comes first, and he has not crossed the electoral threshold for many months. If this situation continues, I expect him to retire from political life,” Democrats party chairman Yair Golan said on Israeli radio station 103FM.
The recording adds to mounting doubts over Gantz’s political stability. As his party weakens, allies depart, and critics argue that refusing to align clearly with either camp has left him without a defined parliamentary role.
