Small Parties Refuse to Withdraw Ahead of Elections, Risking Votes
Translated & summarized from JDN by baba
Intense efforts by the Likud to convince the small parties Noam and Aki to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections have failed, with both parties set to run until the end. Negotiations involving Minister Yoav Kisch and senior Shas officials offered positions and budgets, but no agreement was reached. The Likud fears losing at least 1.5 mandates due to these parties falling below the electoral threshold. Negotiations for the Religious Zionism party to recruit Moti Lightner are also stalled.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Small parties Noam and Aki will run in the elections after withdrawal talks failed.
- The Likud fears losing 1.5 mandates as votes may fall below the electoral threshold.
- Negotiations involved offers of future positions and budgets for party withdrawals.
- Minister Yoav Kisch participated in talks with the Aki party.
- A decision from Rabbi Chaim Abragil was awaited by the Aki party.
- Talks to recruit Moti Lightner for the Religious Zionism party are stalled.
With only 12 days remaining until the elections, efforts within the national camp to prevent vote wastage have failed to yield agreements. Intensive attempts by Prime Minister Netanyahu's circle to persuade the smaller parties Noam and Aki to withdraw from the Knesset race have been unsuccessful, and both are expected to run until the end. In recent days, strenuous negotiations took place between Likud representatives, including Minister Yoav Kisch, and representatives of the Aki party. Parallel discussions were also held with senior officials from Shas. During the negotiations, various offers of future positions and budgets were made in exchange for withdrawing from the race. Aki party members awaited a decision from Rabbi Chaim Abragil, but ultimately, the talks did not result in an agreement. With the failure of these talks and the insistence of the smaller parties to continue their candidacies, the Likud estimates that the right-wing bloc could lose at least one and a half mandates that will fall below the electoral threshold. Meanwhile, efforts within the Religious Zionism party to recruit Moti Lightner are ongoing, but this front is also progressing slowly, with negotiations currently stalled.
