GOVERNMENT

Benny Gantz

Leader, Blue and White party

Benny Gantz, a former IDF chief of staff and a newcomer to Israeli politics, leads the centrist Blue and White party. Many voters view him as an alternative to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gantz certainly destabilized him in the recent elections -- though, at the time of publication, a unity government had yet to be formed. “I ask you, citizens of Israel, for the opportunity to lead the State of Israel,” Gantz said. “I promise to bolster security, fight corruption, and look out for Israelis’ day-to-day lives; to take care of the sick people in the crowded emergency rooms, students who don’t have the opportunity to succeed, neglected senior citizens and people with disabilities, and families and young people fighting to survive despite the soaring cost of living.” (Photo: Reuters / Corinna Kern)