Benny Gantz announced Monday that he will not run in the upcoming Oct. 27 election but will continue working to establish a national unity government.
"I will not run in the upcoming election, but I will continue fighting for unity," Gantz said in a statement. "It is the only solution that can prevent another disaster and safeguard Israel against all the challenges it faces, both at home and abroad."
The decision comes amid recent polls showing support for Gantz's party hovering around just 1%, far below the 3.25% electoral threshold and equivalent to roughly one Knesset seat. Had he remained in the race and failed to cross the threshold, those votes would have been excluded from the allocation of seats in the 120-member Knesset.
Sources close to Gantz say he was not promised anything in return for withdrawing from the race. They also argue that he will be better positioned to promote a unity government from outside the political arena, where he would no longer be perceived as a political rival.
Gantz's decision also reflects the possibility that Israel could face another round of elections. Although he has not said so publicly, he intends to remain on the sidelines and work toward forming a broad unity government, while keeping open the option of returning to the race if another election is called.
