Israeli Parties Forge Alliances Ahead of Elections

Two separate electoral alliances have been formed between Israeli political parties in preparation for upcoming elections. The "Yisrael Beiteinu" party, led by Avigdor Lieberman, and the "Beitech" list, headed by Naftali Bennett, have agreed to sign a surplus votes agreement. This type of agreement allows parties to pool leftover votes that are not enough to secure a parliamentary seat, aiming to collectively gain an additional mandate.

Simultaneously, the "Yesher!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, announced it will sign a similar surplus votes agreement with the "Democrats" party, led by Yair Golan. A statement from "Yesher!" emphasized their efforts to unite the "change bloc" and ensure that every vote cast for parties seeking to replace the current government will not be wasted. The party expressed satisfaction that four parties now form this bloc, enabling internal surplus vote agreements.

"Yesher!" stated that this arrangement is a lesson learned from previous elections, where votes were lost. They are committed to working towards victory and establishing a "Zionist and state-oriented government" to succeed the current administration. Shaul Meredor, associated with Eisenkot's bloc, asserted that any party not part of these four is aligned with Prime Minister Netanyahu. A surplus votes agreement is valid only if both participating parties pass the electoral threshold.