Opposition Leaders to Meet Ahead of Elections

Opposition leader Yair Lapid will host a meeting of prominent "change bloc" leaders at his Tel Aviv home on Saturday night. The gathering will include former Prime Ministers Naftali Bennett and Defense Minister Gadi Eisenkot, as well as Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan. The leaders intend to coordinate their strategies for the upcoming elections, a move prompted by what has been described as a "disorganized" week among opposition parties.

The meeting comes amid internal disputes among opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with disagreements over who will be the sole, agreed-upon candidate to challenge Netanyahu in the October 27 elections. Recent polls and party dynamics have intensified these tensions.

Eisenkot is reportedly advocating for a "big party" campaign strategy, believing a larger lead over Netanyahu will grant him momentum and legitimacy to form the next government. However, Bennett, Lieberman, and Lapid reportedly favor strengthening the "change bloc" as a whole rather than focusing on a single dominant party. They cite past experiences, like the "Blue and White" alliance, where a united front proved more effective.

Further complicating matters, Bennett and Lieberman recently signed a surplus agreement, a move that reportedly left Eisenkot feeling sidelined. In response, Eisenkot criticized the agreement as "old politics" and stated that a rotation government was not on the table. His party, Yisrael Beiteinu, hinted that Eisenkot might be under pressure and could potentially form a government with the support of the Ra'am party, urging him to clarify his potential coalition partners.

Yair Golan, meanwhile, has called for unity, urging the leaders to set aside their differences and focus on the common goal of unseating the current government, emphasizing that internal power struggles are less important than the country's future.