Senior Analyst Claims Opposition Bloc Collapsing Amid Leadership Dispute
A recent Channel 13 poll indicates a shift in Israeli political support, with the Netanyahu bloc overtaking the Gantz bloc by two seats for the first time. Political commentator Michael Shemesh attributed this change to internal disputes within the opposition regarding leadership, specifically concerning who would serve as prime minister if they were to form a government.
Shemesh argued in an Instagram video that the "change bloc" is "simply collapsing" due to infighting between Benny Gantz, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Lieberman over the prime ministerial role. He stated that instead of uniting, these parties are preoccupied with internal rivalries, failing to resolve their leadership question.
The poll itself showed the Likud party dropping to 18 seats, while the "Am Israel" party, led by Ofer Winter, surpassed the electoral threshold with two seats, despite criticism from Likud elements. Nevertheless, Netanyahu could find some encouragement as his bloc now leads the opposition bloc in this survey.
Further illustrating the ongoing tensions, Gantz reportedly criticized Bennett on Wednesday, suggesting Bennett should not have been prime minister and that Yair Lapid should have been appointed to the role during the previous "change government."
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