Unity Party Withdraws from Israel’s 2026 Election Race

Chairman Gilad Erdan announced on Friday that the Unity Party will not appear on the ballot for the 2026 Israeli election. The decision ends a campaign that began roughly a month earlier.

The Jerusalem Post

The Unity Party, founded by former ambassador Gilad Erdan and former Likud Knesset member Yuli Edelstein, sought to combine forces with the centrist Blue and White party. An N12 poll indicated that even a combined Unity–Blue and White list would garner only about 2.6 % support, well below Israel’s electoral threshold.

The Jerusalem Post

Erdan explained that voters are focused on selecting a prime minister rather than on a “broad unity government,” which he said ranks low on the public agenda. Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz reiterated his intention to retain the top spot in any merger, emphasizing his experience in leading the party. Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot praised Erdan’s withdrawal as a “responsible and leadership-driven decision,” arguing it could improve the chances of forming a broad Zionist government after the October 7 deadline for parties to decide on campaign suspension.

The Jerusalem Post

• “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,” — United Nations Gilad Erdan, ambassador and minister

The Jerusalem Post

• “Unfortunately, after about a month of campaigning, reality shows that in the upcoming election, a large majority of the public is seeking above all a clear decision on the question of who will be prime minister, and the need for a broad unity government is not high on citizens' list of priorities,” — United Nations Gilad Erdan, ambassador and minister

The Jerusalem Post

Political analysts note that Erdan’s exit may consolidate votes around larger parties, potentially reshaping the contest for prime minister. The modest 2.6 % poll figure suggests that even a merged centrist bloc would struggle to meet the threshold, reinforcing the view that smaller parties face an uphill battle in the upcoming election. Eisenkot’s call for responsible action ahead of the scheduled October 7 deadline underscores pressure on marginal parties to reassess their campaigns before the final registration cut-off.

The Jerusalem Post