Falling Asleep on Watch: The Rift Within the Change Bloc That Plays into Netanyahu's Hands

Ten weeks before the elections, a severe crisis between Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad threatens the joint run of the Arab parties. Ahmed Tibi rejected the reconciliation committee's proposal and withdrew from talks, furious over inadequate representation. Change bloc leaders are warned of a split that could return Netanyahu to power.

Ten weeks before the elections, the political map is crowded and chaotic. While attention is focused on the fragments of parties in the center-right bloc, a split is occurring in the opposing bloc. Gilad Erdan launched the 'Unity' party with Yuli Edelstein, which tries to brand itself as a right-wing party that will impose a broad Zionist government without Arabs. Alongside it, 'Zionist Home - Reservists' and 'Blue and White' are running, but all three do not pass the electoral threshold and endanger hundreds of thousands of votes. Meanwhile, the alliance between Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad for a joint run has entered a crisis. The reconciliation committee proposed a formula, but Ta'al, led by Ahmed Tibi, rejected it, claiming it received only two places in the top ten. Tibi accused Hadash and Balad of pushing him into a corner. The partnership since 2015 has turned into bitter rivalry. Sources in Ta'al are considering running with the new party 'A Place for All of Us', which polls show at only about one and a half mandates. The camp leaders Eisenkot, Bennett, and Lieberman have not yet decided who will lead the bloc, and treating the Arab parties as a separate arena could be a critical mistake. One of the Arab party leaders warns: 'This is how we lost the previous elections, and this is how we might lose again.'