Blue and White stumbles as Israeli race nears finish
In an interview with Al-Monitor a week before the election, Blue and White Chairman Benny Gantz admits he is disturbed by shifting trends in the polls and rejects any chance of partnering with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
![ISRAEL-ELECTION/GANTZ Benny Gantz, leader of Blue and White take part in a party rally, as he campaigns ahead of the upcoming elections, in Tel Aviv February 17, 2020. REUTERS/Amir Cohen - RC2M2F9S6RY5](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/02/RTS32DWY.jpg/RTS32DWY.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=s9Tu4eyl)
Blue and White Party leader Benny Gantz spent the morning of Feb. 24 skipping from one interview to the next, part of a media blitz in the last week of his 2020 election campaign. Most of the interviews took place in his election headquarters in Tel Aviv, in a well-equipped studio mockup of the prime minister’s office. The warmly lit set was decorated with an Israeli flag, shelves of neatly arranged books and a desk covered with family photos.
But now, less than a week away from the March 2 election, Gantz’ path to prime minister seems particularly unlikely. Throughout the election campaign, the Blue and White party has kept a steady lead over the Likud and maintained its position as the biggest party. But polls released early this week by the two major television networks seemed to show a very different trend. The Likud was now ahead, with Blue and White losing anywhere from two to four seats.