Yesh Atid Faces Collapse as Key Figures Depart, Opposition Bloc May Unite

Two senior figures from the Yesh Atid party, Meir Cohen and Mickey Levy, have announced their departure, deepening the crisis within the party founded by Yair Lapid. This exodus fuels speculation about significant shifts in the opposition's political landscape ahead of the upcoming candidate list submissions next week.

A potential "technical bloc" is being discussed, uniting Benny Gantz's National Unity party with Gadi Eisenkot. Additional parties failing to meet the electoral threshold, such as those led by Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper, might also join. This technical bloc would allow for the dissolution of the merged parties after the election.

Reports suggest that resistance to such a union is softening as the deadline for list submissions approaches. Gadi Eisenkot is reportedly being considered to lead this potential joint list. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been urging right-wing parties to unite, but his calls appear to have inadvertently spurred cooperation among opposition factions.

Both Eisenkot and Gantz had previously resisted unification for strategic reasons. Eisenkot believed he could attract votes from across the political spectrum, while Gantz aimed to secure a leading position or form an alternative alliance. However, the current political climate and the impending deadline seem to be altering their stances.

Yesh Atid's internal struggles are exacerbated by the departure of its founders and its current standing in polls. The existing union agreement reportedly favors Gantz's representatives on the Knesset list over Yesh Atid's, suggesting further departures from Yesh Atid are likely. The party's ground operations, a key component of its previous success, are also seen as compromised, leading to concerns about its ability to recover.