There are two ways to look at the small union of Arab parties

Nadav Eyal analyzes the new union of Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, and the two possible interpretations of the move: one, from the Likud, which sees the union as an advantage for Netanyahu due to Balad's extremism; the other, from the change bloc, which sees the differentiation between Ra'am and the other Arab parties as a future advantage. Eyal describes the panic in Netanyahu's office over Ofer Winter.

Nadav Eyal analyzes in his column the new union announced this week between Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad, and the two ways to view this development. On one side, Likud sees the union as an advantage: the inclusion of Balad, a nationalist and extremist party in his view, makes it harder for the change bloc to rely on Arab abstention in forming a government. "With Balad, they won't be able to rely on Arab abstention in forming the government," a senior coalition source is quoted. On the other hand, the change bloc sees the clear differentiation created between Ra'am and Mansour Abbas, who supports national service, and the other Arab parties, as a future advantage. Eyal also describes the panic in Netanyahu's office over Ofer Winter, who could push Bezalel Smotrich below the electoral threshold. The prime minister, according to Eyal, is considering whether to activate the television poison machine against Winter, or whether such a step would only increase his power. The column describes this dilemma as a decision that will be made in the coming days.