Four days out: right-wing fragmentation and a late shift in the polls

Achi drops out, Lauder turns on Netanyahu, and new polls show the opposition bloc widening its lead.

Four days out: right-wing fragmentation and a late shift in the polls — Four days before the election, Rabbi Yoram Abargel's Achi party announced its withdrawal from the Knesset race, a move that further fragments the right-wing vote and potentially pushes more ballots toward the Netanyahu bloc's smaller allies.[^1] The latest Kan News poll shows the coalition weakening to 50 seats, while the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot remains stable at 52 seats.[^2] Naftali Bennett's Together party strengthened by two seats to 14, and Bennett and Netanyahu are now tied at 38% each on the question of suitability for prime minister.[^2] A Maariv poll tells a similar story: the Change bloc at 54 seats, the Netanyahu bloc at 48, and 60% of the public preferring a unity government. Meanwhile, longtime Netanyahu confidant Ronald Lauder warned Israelis against reelecting the premier, accusing him of being "a dictator — a one-person show" and saying Israel under his leadership feels "more like a banana republic."[^4] Lauder also blamed Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for damaging Israel's image, saying "If Ben Gvir and Smotrich's parties play any role in government in the future, Israel is doomed."[^4] The Central Election Committee Chairman Judge Noam Sohlberg ordered Likud to remove all billboards showing Change Bloc leaders alongside MKs Mansour Abbas and Ahmad Tibi.[^3] The question now is whether the late fragmentation on the right and the widening poll gap will drive turnout among undecided voters — 36% of respondents in the Kan News poll are still undecided about which party to vote for.[^2] UAE nominates Lana Nusseibeh for UN chief, Iran strike threat looms — The United Arab Emirates has formally nominated diplomat Lana Nusseibeh to be the next UN secretary-general, potentially breaking a deadlock over the selection process. Nusseibeh announced her candidacy on Wednesday, stating she believes the UN needs someone "relentless in the pursuit of diplomacy." [^1] The nomination comes as a significant move from the Gulf state, which has been increasingly active on the world stage. Meanwhile, the threat of a US military strike on Iran loomed large. US Ambassador