Unity Party leader Gilad Erdan withdraws from election after failed merger talks

Unity Party chairman Gilad Erdan announced his withdrawal from Israel's 2026 election race on Friday, citing a low likelihood of crossing the electoral threshold and failed merger talks. Erdan stated, "Despite the many efforts we made, the support for the Unity Party I established so far does not provide a high likelihood of crossing the electoral threshold, and the possibilities of joining with additional parties in the unity bloc are also not materializing." He believes voters are primarily focused on the prime minister's identity rather than a broad unity government. This decision followed reports of failed merger discussions with the Blue and White party, which an N12 poll indicated would still not cross the threshold even if combined. Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz affirmed he would not relinquish the top spot in any merger. Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot praised Erdan's move as a "responsible and leadership-driven decision" and urged other struggling parties to follow suit.