Benjamin "Benny" Gantz (born June 9, 1959, in Jaffa, Israel) is a prominent Israeli politician and retired army general. He served a distinguished 38-year military career in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), enlisting in 1977 and serving in elite units including the Paratroopers Brigade and Sayeret Matkal. He rose to become the 44th Chief of General Staff of the IDF from 2011 to 2015, overseeing conflicts like Operation Pillar of Defense. After retiring from the military, he entered politics in 2019 by founding the centrist Blue and White alliance, later merging it into the National Unity party, which he currently co-leads as an opposition leader. Gantz has served as Alternate Prime Minister (2020–2021), interim Prime Minister, Minister of Defense (2020–2022), and as a minister without portfolio in the war cabinet (2023–2024). He is known for his moderate, centrist stance on security, advocating for a two-state solution while prioritizing Israel's defense, and remains a key figure in Israeli politics, often seen as a potential prime ministerial candidate. His views are recognized as opposing those of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.