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2025 National Unity leadership election

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2025 National Unity leadership election
2025
Leader before election

Benny Gantz

 Elected Leader

TBD

The 2025 National Unity leadership election is an upcoming leadership election for National Unity, a political alliance in Israel. It is widely expected both that incumbent leader Benny Gantz will run and that he will be challenged by Gadi Eisenkot.

Background

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National Unity (also known as "State Camp") is an Israeli political alliance formed in 2022 (originally named "Blue and White") and led by Benny Gantz. The alliance originally included the Israel Resilience Party (led by Gantz); the New Hope party (led by Gideon Sa'ar); and Gadi Eisenkot and Matan Kahana, who did not belong to political parties and were elected to the Knesset as independent members of the alliance's electoral list. However, in 2024, New Hope left the alliance leaving only Gantz's Israel Resistance Party and the two MKs serving as independents within the alliance.

In early 2025, amid slipping support for the alliance in opinion polling for the next Israeli legislative election, speculation arose that Benny Gantz (head of National Unity) might be challenged for leadership of the alliance by Eisenkot (a member of the Knesset belonging to the alliance, and a former chief of the IDF).[1] Eisenkot joined the alliance in 2022 with the condition that Gantz would agree to later democratize its internal structure.[2] Haaretz reported that Gantz had previously promised Eisenkotz that a leadership election would be held before the next legislative election, and Gantz's avoidance of arranging for such a vote had become a point of frustration between them.[3] Reports emerged that Eisenkotz was considering leaving the alliance and running on a competing party's electoral list for the next election, and that most of the Jewish party's of the Knesset's opposition were making overtures to him, including Bennett.[2] Scenario polls that included a party led by former prime minister Naftali Bennett contesting the legislative election, as is widely expected, showed that National Unity would win several more seats with Eisenkot at its helm than it would with Gantz.[3] In February, Gantz stated that he intended to remain the party's leader.[4]

On 8 June, the alliance announced that it would schedule a leadership election to be held in the coming months, and would additionally open its membership for public registration.[4] The election will be held amongst members of the party's central commitee, which will be expanded as part of the process.[5] Haaretz reported that Eisenkot is considering a challenge to Gantz.[4]

Candidates

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Potential

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The following individuals are described as very likely to run:

References

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  1. ^ Hecht, Ravit (29 January 2025). "Analysis: Eisenkot to Replace Gantz? Pressure Rises for New Leader of Key Israeli Opposition Party". Haaretz. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Benny Gantz's faction to hold leadership primaries as election looms". The Jerusalem Post. 8 June 2025. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  3. ^ a b Sokol, Sam (8 June 2025). "Gantz's National Unity to hold primaries in coming months, as support down in polls". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shpigel, Noa (8 June 2025). "Centrist National Unity says it will hold its first-ever elections for party leader". Haaretz. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  5. ^ Karni, Yuval (8 June 2025). "לראשונה: פריימריז לראשות המחנה הממלכתי" [For the first time: primaries for the Leadership of the National Unity Party]. Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 14 June 2025.
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