Gantz’s Blue and White-National Unity announces party membership to become open

By Sam Sokol 14 July 2025, 12:20 pm

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Sam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Leader of the Blue and White-National Unity Party MK Benny Gantz ahead of a faction meeting at the Knesset on July 7, 2025 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Benny Gantz’s Blue and White-National Unity announces that it is opening up its ranks, as of today allowing the general public to become members as part of a democratization drive within the party.

Gantz’s number 2, MK Gadi Eisenkot, recently announced his imminent departure from the party and from the Knesset. Senior MK Matan Kahana also said he would be leaving the party.

Gantz has said he would take several steps to democratize the party, including holding a leadership primary in the coming months.

In a statement last month, the party said that an outline presented to its lawmakers detailing this process called for it to “open its ranks to public participation” in the coming months and said the “party assembly will be renewed and significantly enlarged.”

As part of this process, party leadership elections will be held and members of the party’s audit committee and other internal institutions will be reappointed, the statement continued, adding that the initiative will be headed by a diverse team.