Of all the decisions he has made in his brief political career, Blue and White Party chair Benny Gantz is facing the most difficult yet. Midnight on Aug. 24, less than three weeks from now, is the deadline for Israel to pass its state budget. According to long-established law, if a budget is not passed by then, the Knesset will be dissolved and new elections will be called.

The polls show Gantz winning less than 10 seats, down from the Blue and White's current 15. The general assumption is that in the case of yet another early election, he will retire from politics and vacate his seat for the number-two Knesset member on his party’s list, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

If such a thing happens, it would be the greatest crash in the history of Israeli politics. Never before has anyone reached such a senior position just months after entering politics, and he was so close to taking the prime minister’s office. When he founded his party in December 2018, he had absolutely no political experience. And yet his career soared. He posed the greatest threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the past decade and almost brought about Netanyahu’s downfall. He did so in three consecutive elections in which he was the only real alternative to Netanyahu and the great hope of over two million citizens eager for a change of government.

In the April unity deal signed between the Likud and Blue and White, the partners agreed on a two-year budget. This point is crucial, because Israeli law considers approval of the budget as a vote of confidence in the government. But Netanyahu decided a few weeks ago to push for a one-year budget. Now Gantz faces two unappealing choices. By opposing Netanyahu and holding firm on the two-year budget, he will be responsible for a new round of elections in November and the immediate end of his political career.