Leaders of Israel’s four main opposition parties are scheduled to meet Saturday evening in Tel Aviv in an effort to strengthen coordination ahead of the upcoming national elections. The meeting, to be held at Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid’s campaign headquarters, will bring together Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Yair Golan of the Democrats, Naftali Bennett, and Gadi Eisenkot, who is leading the Yashar party. Their goal is to improve campaign cooperation on legal matters, voter mobilization, and crisis response during the final month before the ballot.
However, significant divisions persist within the opposition bloc, particularly regarding who should lead the alliance and serve as its candidate for prime minister. Eisenkot insists that the leader of the largest party should take that role, but Lieberman and Bennett argue that conceding this could cost their parties votes, driving right-wing supporters back to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. An opposition source noted that voters may shift allegiances if they sense the bloc lacks clear leadership, undermining the opposition’s electoral prospects.
Despite these internal tensions, the opposition parties have already united on one issue: backing moves to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh, chairman of the Balad party and a candidate on the predominantly Arab Joint List slate, from contesting the election. This decision follows an article Abu Shehadeh published on October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas carried out deadly attacks near Gaza. Yair Golan, who witnessed the violence firsthand, has expressed his support for disqualification, a stance reflecting both personal conviction and political calculation.
Lieberman, who is opposed to cooperating with Mansour Abbas’s United Arab List (UAL), has been particularly steadfast in his refusal to rely on Abbas’s party to form a government. His opposition extends to Abbas’s recent political recruit, former police major general Yoav Segalovitz, whose potential role—as a coalition kingmaker or cabinet member—Lieberman has vowed to block.
The question of whether the opposition leaders will present a united front with a joint photo opportunity after Saturday’s meeting remains uncertain. Eisenkot and Golan have no objection, but Lieberman and Bennett appear reluctant to appear publicly with Golan, a reservist who risked his life during Hamas’s October 7 attack.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s position faces fresh challenges within his right-wing camp. The emergence of Ofer Winter, leader of Amcha Yisrael, who is reportedly independent of Netanyahu's control, is a source of frustration for the prime minister. Winter’s party could potentially secure six to seven Knesset seats, which would affect the bloc’s overall ability to reach a majority. Netanyahu suspects Winter might ally with the opposition if it benefits his claim to the defense minister portfolio, a scenario that could disrupt the right-wing coalition’s chances.
Additionally, a rift has developed within the ultra-Orthodox UTJ faction, where Moshe Gafni was removed due to perceptions that he collaborated too closely with Netanyahu.
Security agencies are also closely monitoring the election. The Shin Bet is focusing on foreign interference, particularly activities linked to Iran and Russia, while police continue to investigate domestic attempts at manipulation. Central Elections Committee chairman and Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg highlighted the risks posed by both internal and external actors seeking to undermine the democratic process through disinformation and fake political accounts. He called for transparency as a critical component of the campaign.
As the election draws nearer, the opposition’s ability to overcome internal disputes and present a cohesive challenge to Netanyahu will be critical, while the ruling coalition faces its own complexities amid shifting alliances and emerging political actors.