Israeli Parties Vie for Votes in Final Election Push

With just 19 days until the 26th Knesset elections, Israeli political parties are intensifying their campaigns, each aiming to gain support at the expense of others. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is focusing on mobilizing Likud voters, particularly in areas with historically low turnout. However, he also seeks to increase the Likud's mandate by drawing votes from smaller right-wing parties.

Polls indicate that Otzma Yehudit and especially the Religious Zionism party have slim margins above the electoral threshold. This uncertainty has led the Likud to consider a last-minute campaign to absorb votes from the entire right-wing bloc. Netanyahu appears to be bolstering Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, potentially at the expense of Ofir Venture's Am Israel party. This strategy stems from Netanyahu's distrust of Venture, with concerns within Likud about whether Venture will even pass the electoral threshold and, if so, his loyalty to the bloc.

Regarding Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit, Netanyahu is wary of the party becoming too large and is attempting to curb Ben-Gvir's campaign to win votes from Likud. The Prime Minister is also trying to reduce Otzma Yehudit's mandate without pushing it too close to the electoral threshold. Conversely, National Security Minister Ben-Gvir is campaigning by portraying Netanyahu as unwilling to form a government with him, despite Netanyahu's statements that the next government will be based on the current coalition, though he aims to expand it.

Tensions between Netanyahu's Likud and Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit surfaced when Likud signed a surplus vote agreement with Religious Zionism but refused one with Otzma Yehudit. Otzma Yehudit stated this was an attempt to diminish their party and exclude Ben-Gvir from a unity government. Meanwhile, Likud and Religious Zionism are maintaining a quiet front, with Netanyahu publicly praising MK Simcha Rothman of Religious Zionism for his work against the "judicial dictatorship."

In the center-left bloc, parties are also engaged in vote-grabbing tactics. Gadi Eisenkot's Yishai! party is seen as actively campaigning, with Eisenkot's public challenge to Netanyahu for a debate positioning him directly against the Prime Minister. Parties like Together and Yesh Atid are concerned about losing voters to Eisenkot, particularly those who previously supported Yesh Atid. MK Merav Ben Ari of Together has urged voters to prioritize candidates they trust, suggesting that Naftali Bennett's party offers more reliable representation than some candidates further down Eisenkot's list.

Shas is competing with Otzma Yehudit for traditional voters, especially the youth. Recent statements attributed to Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef have criticized Ben-Gvir for his actions and alleged disregard for rabbinical opinions on the Temple Mount, advising against voting for him. The Likud, Shas, and other Haredi parties are currently experiencing a period of calm, with Netanyahu addressing claims about the coalition relying on draft dodgers by stating that protests attributed to "Kaplan" do not represent the entire Haredi public.