Defense Minister and Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz thanked supporters Tuesday night, after his party outperformed pre-election polling, and vowed to unite the anti-Netanyahu bloc.
“I would like to thank the hundreds of thousands of voters who demonstrated their confidence in the civil and responsible way of Blue and White, as well as all my partners on this journey,” Gantz said in a statement after voting ended in Israel’s fourth general election in under two years.
Gantz also hinted at the possibility of a fifth general election, amid exit polling showing the Knesset narrowly divided between the pro and anti-Netanyahu blocs.
“Starting tomorrow, I'll do my best to unite the pro-change bloc. And if are forced to face a fifth round of elections, I will vigilantly protect our democracy, rule of law and security. Because Israel comes first.”
Two of the three major exit polls show Blue and White winning seven seats, with the third, Channel 13’s exit poll, projecting Blue and White receiving eight seats.
Prior to Tuesday’s election, Blue and White struggled to clear the 3.25% electoral threshold in the polls, receiving just four seats in most polls.