Blue and White's security plan says Israel should fix defense spending at no less than 100 billion shekels for the next ten years, and it sets 2028 as the deadline for removing what it calls the Iranian existential threat.4 That's one of about ten documents this party has put online, so let's go through them.
Who is Blue and White?
Blue and White is running as "Blue and White led by Benny Gantz," on the ballot letters Kaf Nun, which spell the word "ken," yes.1 Gantz is a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister.2 It's a single party, not a merger.1
What has Blue and White published?
There's no single document called the platform for this election.2 The link labeled "the platform" (המצע) at the bottom of their website still opens their 2021 platform, so I'm leaving that one out.20
What they do have is a menu on the site called "Our vision" that links a set of plans.2 A two-page principles brochure from July 2025.3 A 28-page security strategy called "Israel Grows Stronger," signed by Gantz in October 2025.4 An education plan, updated in late September 2026.6 Then shorter plans on military service, reservists, the civil service, mental health, and the north.89101112 Separately, their news page has a plan on the courts and the system of government, posted September 15, 2026.5 All of these are in Hebrew.
Blue and White's positions, topic by topic
The same twelve topics, in the same order, for every party. Where nothing was published, the episode says so.
What does Blue and White say about security and foreign policy?
Start with Iran. The security plan sets a goal of removing the Iranian threat by 2028.4 It wants the US and the world powers to draw a red line against Iran rebuilding its nuclear program and to demand a new deal, "longer, broader and stronger."4 If Tehran refuses or stalls, the plan says there will be "no alternative to repeated strikes" on the nuclear project.4 It also says Israel should put on the table creating conditions for the Iranian people to replace the regime.4
On money, it calls for defense spending of at least 100 billion shekels, fixed for the coming decade, up to 6 percent of GDP.4 It also wants to push US military aid from 3.8 billion dollars to 5 billion in the next ten-year agreement, which starts in 2028.4 It wants the reserve army to equal 10 percent of the population.4
On borders, there's a program they call "Ten in a fifth."4 Israel acts against any major threat within 10 kilometers of the border, the population of border communities grows by at least 10 percent in a decade, and the income tax those residents pay is capped at 10 percent.4 The plan also calls for buffer zones beyond every border, including Gaza.4
On Gaza, it proposes an international administration led by the US with moderate Arab states, running civil affairs only, with funding conditioned on demilitarization.4 Israel keeps security control over the whole area.4 The plan also says President Trump's "voluntary emigration" plan will continue to be advanced, and that anyone who asks to leave can do so through Egypt, Jordan and Ashdod port.4
On the Palestinians more broadly, the principles talk about moving from resolving the conflict to "shrinking the conflict" and preventing a binational state.3 In its section on the Palestinian arena, which covers Gaza and Judea and Samaria, the security plan says Israel keeps "supreme security control" over the whole area while strengthening and expanding "legal settlement," and that no Palestinian state will be established "that would threaten Israel."4
In the region, it wants normalization with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, full normalization with Lebanon on condition that Hezbollah is disarmed, and a security agreement with Syria that protects the Druze.4
What does Blue and White say about accountability for October 7?
There's no written plan on this, but the party posted a statement by Gantz from November 2025.15 He says he supports a state commission of inquiry, and that if anyone proposes having the Knesset or a politically balanced panel appoint its members, the answer is "no."15
What does Blue and White say about the economy and the cost of living?
The principles promise an economic plan that mixes a free economy with social justice.3 The one concrete direction is opening the Israeli market to competition and imports and cutting what they call "unnecessary protective walls" to bring down the cost of living.3 They also want more Arab and Haredi citizens in the workforce, and better unemployment and sick pay for the self-employed.3 Beyond the 10 percent border-area tax cap I mentioned, and tax cuts for reservists that I'll get to, I didn't find published positions on tax rates, VAT, or wages.48
What every party says about the economy and the cost of living
What does Blue and White say about housing?
I couldn't find a general housing plan. The housing items are targeted: combat reservist families get free land, or its value, in national priority areas, and reservists get an advantage in state housing tenders.8
What does Blue and White say about religion and state?
This is where they're most detailed, and it's mostly about service. Their service plan says every young person serves, in the army or in national, civil or community service.39 The army picks first, everyone else goes to a new "Israeli Service" directorate, and exemptions are capped by quotas set in law.9 Sanctions are economic and aimed at the individual, not the yeshiva.89
The security plan adds numbers. Mandatory service would be 32 months for men and women for a decade, while Haredi exemptions are brought down to "a few thousand" within five years at most.4 It also proposes a Haredi brigade so devout Haredim can serve under special conditions.4
On Shabbat, the principles say local governments should get more power to shape Shabbat in their area, according to the communities that live there.3 A 2025 local government plan, published under the party's earlier name, National Unity, talks about moving religious services to local authorities, and as an immediate step would give local authorities in the north the legal power to run their own religion departments.13 I didn't find a current position on marriage or conversion.
What does Blue and White say about the judiciary and governance?
The September 2026 plan is called reform "by consensus."5 Its first red line: a regular coalition of 61 shouldn't be able to change Basic Laws.5
The specifics. Pass a Basic Law on legislation, with Basic Laws needing a special majority over four readings.5 Only the Supreme Court could strike down a law, by a two-thirds majority on a panel of at least nine justices.5 Cancel what the plan calls the "Sa'ar-Levin framework" for picking judges, keep three judges on the nine-member selection committee, and require seven of nine votes for a Supreme Court appointment.5 Limit the attorney general to a five-year term, and let the government hire private lawyers automatically when the attorney general won't defend its position.5
It also proposes adding equality before the law to the Nationality Law.5
On government structure: an eight-year limit for prime ministers, and a system they call "a ballot and a half," where a party's voters get some say in the order of its candidates.5 The principles add harder rules for dissolving the Knesset and a minimum gap between elections.3 A civil service plan would cut the number of ministries to 20 as a first stage.10
What does Blue and White say about education?
The updated education plan has 14 sections.6 The state sets a required common core for every publicly funded school, and funding "based on political power or sectoral affiliation" ends.6 More authority moves to local governments and principals.6 Matriculation exams end in 11th grade, and 12th grade becomes a preparatory year for adult life and service.6 Haredi state schools would be anchored in law and expanded.6 There's also a commitment to move toward free education from birth, with criteria tied to service to the state and to social eligibility.6 An earlier version from December 2025 put a five-year timeline on that.7
What does Blue and White say about health?
The principles promise to strengthen public health and increase the number of doctors and nurses.3 The more specific plan is on mental health: a new National Authority for Mental Resilience and Trauma under the Health Ministry, and a requirement that every local authority employ at least one full-time educational psychologist or trauma social worker.11 The north plan adds a state-funded emergency room in Kiryat Shmona within a year.12
What does Blue and White say about social welfare, pensions and the elderly?
Most of what's here is for reservists: no more than 100 reserve days in three years in normal times, call-up orders at least three months ahead, and lower income tax, state fees and municipal tax.8 The principles also promise equal opportunity for people with disabilities.3 I couldn't find a published position on pensions or the elderly.
What every party says about social welfare, pensions and the elderly
What does Blue and White say about Arab citizens and minorities?
The principles commit to fighting crime organizations, protection rackets and illegal weapons, and violence in Arab communities.3 Arab citizens are included in the service plan, with a goal that the vast majority take part within ten years.4 The education plan has a section on investing in Arab education.6 The Nationality Law change I mentioned is here too.5 The principles also promise equal rights for the LGBT community.3
What does Blue and White say about immigration, absorption and the diaspora?
The principles say they'll strengthen ties with Jewish communities abroad and encourage aliyah.3 The security plan proposes recruiting young diaspora Jews for public diplomacy through national service, and a task force against antisemitism on campuses.4 In an op-ed on September 25, Gantz wrote that American Jews "should never have to support every Israeli minister or government to demonstrate their support for Israel."17 I didn't find an absorption plan.
What every party says about immigration, absorption and the diaspora
What does Blue and White say about the environment, energy and transportation?
The principles promise climate and biodiversity legislation, stronger public transport, and a plan against road accidents.3 For Kiryat Shmona, residents would get discounts on public transport and Route 6 tolls.12 I didn't find anything on energy.
What every party says about the environment, energy and transportation
What Blue and White puts front and center
Two things show up again and again. The first is the Negev and Galilee: a goal of half a million more Israelis moving there within five years, and half of all Israelis living there by 2048.1214 The north plan turns part of that into a bill for Kiryat Shmona, including making Tel Hai College a university.12
The second is the kind of government they say they want: in their words, a broad national unity government "that does not rely on the extremes."3
What Blue and White hasn't published
I didn't find published positions on general housing, pensions and the elderly, marriage and conversion, energy, or immigrant absorption. On October 7 accountability, there's a leader statement but no written plan.
Sources
Everything above comes from what Blue and White made public: its platform, website and official accounts, and on-the-record statements by its leaders. Each line was checked against a saved copy of its source. Most sources are in Hebrew.
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Transcript
The words as spoken in the episode, from its captions. Select a time to listen from there.
Full transcript
Intro
Blue and White Security Plan says Israel should fix defense spending in no less than 100 billion shekels for the next 10 years, and it sets 2028 as the deadline for removing what it calls the Iranian existential threat. That's one of about 10 documents this party has put online, so let's go through them together. This is Close Read, and this is a series about what Israel's parties are promising to do in their own published words for
About this series
English-speaking voters ahead of the October 27th election. One party per episode. I only use the party itself has made public. Their platform, their website, their official accounts, and on-the-record statements by their leaders. If they didn't publish it, it doesn't count. And if they publish nothing, then that is the episode. Blue and White is running as Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz. On the ballot letters kafnun, which spell
Who they are
the word ken in Hebrew, yes. Gantz is a former IDF chief of staff and defense minister. It's a single party, not a merger. There's no single document called the platform for this election. The link labeled the platform at the bottom
What they've published
of their website still opens their 2021 platform, so I'm leaving that out. What they do have is a menu on the site called Our Vision that links a set of plans. A two-page principles brochure from the 25th, 2025 July, a 28-page security strategy called Israel grows stronger, signed by Gantz in October of 2025. An education plan updated in late September 2026, then shorter plans on military service, on the civil service, mental health, and the north. Separately, their news page has a plan on the courts and the system of government posted September 15th, 2026.
All of these are in Hebrew. Let's start with Iran. The security plan sets a goal of removing
Security and foreign policy
the Iranian threat by 2028. It wants the U.S. and the world powers to draw a red line against Iran rebuilding its nuclear program and to demand a new deal that's, quote, longer, broader, and stronger. If Tehran refuses or stalls, the plan says there will be, quote, no alternatives to repeated strikes on the nuclear project. It also says Israel should put on the table, creating conditions for the Iranian people to replace the regime. On money, it calls for defense spending of at least 100 billion shekels, fixed for the coming decade, up to 6% of GDP. It also wants to push U.S. military aid from $3.8 billion to $5 billion in the next 10-year agreement, which starts in 2028.
It wants the reserve army to equal 10% of the population. On borders, there's a program they call 10 in a fifth. Israel acts against any major threat within 10 kilometers of the border. The population of border communities grows by at least 10% in a decade, and the income tax those residents pay is capped at 10%. The plan also calls for buffer zones beyond every border, including Gaza. On Gaza itself, they propose an international administration led by the U.S. with moderate Arab states, running civil affairs only, with funding conditioned on demilitarization.
Israel keeps security control over the whole area. The plan also says President Trump's, quote, voluntary immigration plan will continue to be advanced, and that anyone who asks to leave can do so, through Egypt, through Jordan, or through the Ashdod port. On the Palestinians more broadly, the principles talk about moving from resolving the conflict to, quote, shrinking the conflict, and preventing a bi-national state. In its section on the Palestinian arena, which covers Gaza and Judea and Samaria, the security plan says Israel keeps, quote, supreme security control, end quote, over the whole area, while strengthening and expanding, quote, legal settlement, end quote, and that no Palestinian state will be established that, quote, would threaten Israel.
In the region, it wants normalization with Saudi Arabia and Indonesia, full normalization with Lebanon on condition that Hezbollah is disarmed, and a security agreement with Syria that protects the Jews. Now, there's no written plan on the question of a state commission of inquiry for October
October 7 accountability
7th, but the party posted a statement by Gantz from November 2025. He says that he supports a state commission of inquiry, and that if anyone proposes having the Knesset or a politically balanced panel appoint its members, the answer for him is no. The principles promise an economic plan that mixes a free economy with social justice.
Economy and cost of living
The one concrete direction is opening the Israeli market to competition and imports and cutting what they call, quote, unnecessary protective walls to bring down the cost of living. They also want more Arab and Haredi citizens in the workforce, and they want better unemployment and sick pay for the self-employed. Beyond the 10% border area tax cap I mentioned and tax cuts for reservists that I'll get to, I didn't find published positions on tax rate, on the VAT, or on wages. I couldn't find a general housing plan. The housing items are targeted towards combat reservist families who get free land
Housing
or its value in national priority areas, and reservists get an advantage in state housing tenders. Now, where they're most detailed is mostly about the topic of service. Their service plan says every young person serves in the army or in national, civil or community service. The army picks first, everyone else goes to a, quote, new Israeli service directorate, and exemptions are capped by quotas set in law. Sanctions are economic and aimed at the individual, not at the yeshiva itself. The security plan now adds numbers. Mandatory service would be 32 months for men and women for a decade, while Haredi exemptions are brought down to, quote, a few thousand within five years at most.
It also proposes a Haredi brigade, so devout Haredim can serve under special conditions. On Shabbat, the principals say local governments should get more power to shape Shabbat in their area, according to the communities that live there. A 2025 local government plan published under the party's earlier name, National Unity, talks about moving religious services to local authorities, and as an immediate step would give local authorities in the north the legal power to run their own religion departments. I didn't find a current position on the topic of marriage or conversion. The September 2026 plan is called Reform by Consensus.
Judiciary and governance
Its first red line is a regular coalition of 61 parliament members should not be able to change basic law. Now, let's talk about the specifics. They want to pass a basic law on legislation with basic laws needing a special majority over four readings. Only the Supreme Court could strike down a law by two-thirds majority on a panel of at least nine justices. They cancel what the plan calls the Sa'ar Levine framework for picking judges. Keep three judges on the nine-member selection committee and require seven of nine votes for a Supreme Court appointment. Limit the Attorney General to a five-year term and let the government hire private lawyers automatically when the Attorney General won't defend its position. It also proposes adding equality before the law to the nationality law.
On government structure, they recommend an eight-year limit for prime ministers and a system they call, quote, a ballot and a half where a party's voters get some say in the order of its candidates. Their principles add harder rules for dissolving the Knesset and a minimum gap between elections. A civil service plan would cut the number of ministries to 20 as a first stage. The education plan has 14 sections. The state sets a required common core for
Education
every publicly funded school and funding is, quote, based on political power or sectoral affiliation would end. More authority moves to local governments and principals. Matriculation exams would end in 11th grade and 12th grade becomes a preparatory year for adult life and forest service. Haredi state schools would be anchored in law and expanded. There's also a commitment to move toward free education from birth with criteria tied to service to the state and to social eligibility. An earlier version from December 2025 puts a five-year timeline The principles promise to strengthen public health and increase the number of doctors and nurses.
Health
The more specific plan is on the topic of mental health, a new national authority for mental resilience and trauma under the health ministry, and a requirement that every local authority employ at least one full-time educational psychologist or trauma social worker. The north plan adds a state-funded emergency and emergency room in Kiriatschmona within a year. Most of what is talked about reservists is around this area around reserve days.
Social welfare, pensions, and the elderly
No more than 100 reserve days in three years in normal times. Call up orders at least three months ahead and lower income tax, state fees, and municipal tax. The principles also promise equal opportunity for people with disabilities. I couldn't find a published position on pensions or on the topic of the elderly. The principles commit to fighting crime organizations, protection rackets, and illegal weapons, and violence in Arab communities.
Arab citizens and minorities
Arab citizens are included in the service plan with a goal the vast majority take part within 10 years. The education plan has a section on investing in Arab education. The nationality law change I mentioned is here too. The principles also promise rights for the LGBT community. The principles say they'll strengthen ties with Jewish communities abroad and encourage Aliyah.
Immigration, absorption, and diaspora
The security plan proposes recruiting young diaspora Jews for public diplomacy through national service and a task force against anti-Semitism on campuses. In an op-ed on September 25th, Gantz wrote that American Jews "should never have to support every Israeli minister or government to demonstrate their support for Israel." I didn't find an absorption plan. The principles promise climate and biodiversity legislation, stronger public transport, and a plan against road accidents.
Environment, energy, and transportation
For Kiryat Shmona, residents would get discounts on public transport and Route 6 tolls. I didn't find anything on energy. But two things do show up over and over again. The first is on the topic of the Negev and the Galilee. A goal of half a million more Israelis moving in those areas within five years. And half of all Israelis living in those areas by 2048. The North Plan turns part of that into a bill for Kiryat Shmona, including making Tel Chai College a university. The second is the kind of government they say they want. In their words, a broad national unity government that "does not rely on the extremes." I didn't find published positions on general housing, pensions and the elderly, marriage
What's missing
and conversion, energy or immigrant absorption. On October 7th accountability, there is a statement by the party leader, but there's no written plan. That's what Blue and White has put into writing as of this recording. Every source I use is linked in the description, most of them in Hebrew, so you can read them yourself. If they publish more before the election, October 27th, I will do my best to find an update in the comments. Next is list number 31, Religious Zionism, Zehut. And the full playlist is linked below. The Close Read is free to watch and free to listen. And if you'd like to support it, you can find me on Patreon at patreon.com/thecloseread linked in the description.
