Lapid Convenes Opposition Leaders Meeting, Benny Gantz Excluded

Opposition leader Yair Lapid will host a meeting of leaders from the "Change Bloc" at his home in Tel Aviv this coming Saturday night, his Yesh Atid party announced Tuesday. The gathering is expected to include Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Lieberman, and Yair Golan, and will focus on coordinating the bloc's actions ahead of the upcoming elections.

The meeting comes amid recent polls showing a tight race between the Likud party and Eisenkot's 'Yisrael Beiteinu' party. Notably, Benny Gantz, a former member of the "Change Bloc" who now leads the National Unity party after leaving the government, was not invited. Gantz is currently outside the unified center-left bloc.

This meeting occurs during a politically sensitive period as the political system gears up for elections. In recent days, other contacts have occurred between center-left parties, including a joint meeting between Lieberman and Bennett to discuss joint actions.

Meanwhile, Joint List chairman Ahmed Tibi recently revealed a joint plan by Arab parties to help replace the Netanyahu government. According to Tibi, Arab parties will work with Eisenkot's bloc immediately after the elections to replace the Knesset Speaker and recommend the bloc's candidate for forming the government. The Likud party responded swiftly, calling Tibi's remarks a "media bomb" and stating, "Ahmed Tibi reveals the plan of Eisenkot, Lieberman, and Yair Golan to establish a left-wing government with the Arab parties."

The Saturday night meeting is expected to focus on how the "Change Bloc" parties can coordinate their efforts to achieve the necessary number of mandates to form an alternative government.