Israeli Opposition Parties Vie for Leadership Amidst Internal Power Struggle

While publicly focusing criticism on Prime Minister Netanyahu, key figures within Israel's "change bloc" are engaged in a behind-the-scenes battle for dominance and advantageous positions for the premiership. This internal competition intensified recently, particularly concerning which party will emerge as the largest within the bloc after the upcoming elections.

A message sent by Gadi Eisenkot's campaign emphasized the tight race against Netanyahu and the Likud for the title of "largest party in Israel," urging supporters to help secure victory and change for the country. Notably, the message avoided topics typically aimed at right-wing voters, such as mentioning figures like Smotrich or Ben-Gvir, or the events of October 7th. Instead, it strategically highlighted the goal of becoming the largest party, a central theme of Eisenkot's campaign, who has urged rivals like Bennett and Liberman to commit to supporting the largest party's leader as the prime ministerial candidate.

This internal struggle has significant implications for post-election coalition negotiations should the change bloc succeed in forming a government. A substantial lead for one party would bolster its leader's claim to the premiership, whereas a narrow victory could open the door to power-sharing agreements or other demands from coalition partners. Avigdor Liberman has publicly criticized the automatic support for the largest party's leader as a "serious mistake."

Adding to the internal tensions, a recent meeting between Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman was perceived by some in the bloc as an attempt to strengthen their positions against Eisenkot, increasing mutual wariness. Simultaneously, the bloc faces declining poll numbers, with some members warning that aggressive competition for the same voters could lead to a zero-sum game, benefiting no one within the bloc.

In response to the dip in support, bloc representatives have issued public statements. Bennett urged supporters not to despair, stating that victory is still possible if they "act correctly" to prevent another term for the current government. Knesset Member Merav Ben-Ari encouraged supporters to ignore polls, emphasizing the need to vote to oust the "government of slaughter" and implement key policy changes, including a draft law for all and term limits for the prime minister.