Gantz's National Unity Party and Gilad Erdan's Unity Party End Merger Talks

Negotiations between Benny Gantz's National Unity party and Gilad Erdan's Unity party have collapsed, with the two factions announcing they will not run together in the upcoming elections. The decision came Friday following a meeting between the two leaders.

Sources within Erdan's party blamed Gantz's camp, stating that "the briefings from Blue and White, immediately after Erdan left the meeting with Gantz, teach more than anything who truly wanted unity and who only wanted media prominence." They expressed regret that Blue and White "never tried to discuss substantive issues, and did not agree to go all the way for unity to unite the bloc."

Both Gantz and Erdan, according to polls, are struggling to cross the electoral threshold. They had believed that running on a joint list would improve their chances. Erdan, who left the Likud party, established his Unity party as part of an effort to form a "third bloc" largely aligned with right-wing positions, though its leaders claim they would not join a majority bloc and would enforce a broad coalition. National Unity, also considered part of this bloc, includes Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper within the "Zionist House - Reservists" party, which some polls indicate will pass the electoral threshold.

Erdan's potential advantage in joining forces with Gantz was the significant funding available to Blue and White for party financing. However, an insider suggested that even if the two parties had merged, "it would be difficult for both parties to pass the electoral threshold."