Who is Benny Gantz, Israel’s war minister who resigns from Netanyahu’s government this weekend

Israeli war minister Benny Gantz was expected to announce this weekend that he and his party will be leaving the emergency government formed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after Hamas attacked Israel in October.

However, he has delayed the statement he was supposed to give on Saturday following news that Israeli forces had rescued four Israeli hostages alive. There is no set new time for his address.

On May 18, Gantz set a June 8 ultimatum for Netanyahu’s government to form a plan to secure the release of Israeli hostages and end the war in Gaza.

His departure, if it pushes through, is expected to strengthen the influence of the far right on the Israeli government and aggravate the country’s political crisis as the war in Gaza continues.

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Who is Benny Gantz, Israel’s war minister?

Gantz is the leader of the centrist opposition National Unity Party, and is viewed by world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden as a moderate.

He is seen to be the most formidable political opponent of Netanyahu, whose image was tarnished by the Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

Gantz is a politician and retired army commander who has played a significant role in Israel’s political and military landscape. He served as the Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from 2011 to 2015. During his military career, he held various command positions and was involved in key military operations.

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After retiring from the military, Gantz entered politics. In December 2018, he founded a new political party called Hosen L’Yisrael (Resilience for Israel), which later became part of the Blue and White alliance, a centrist political coalition.

This alliance emerged as a major political force in Israel, positioning itself as a centrist alternative to Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Gantz has been a central figure in multiple Israeli elections. In April 2020, he entered into a power-sharing agreement with Netanyahu, serving as the Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Defense in a unity government. This arrangement included a rotational agreement for the prime ministership, although the coalition faced significant challenges and eventually collapsed.

Benny Gantz’s personal life

Gantz was born on June 9, 1959, in Kfar Ahim, Israel. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Tel Aviv University and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Haifa. He is married and has four children.