Israeli Parties Clash Over Election Pact Deadline Amidst Accusations

With the deadline for signing surplus vote agreements looming, a dispute has erupted between Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha's "HaMiluimnikim-HaKalkalit" party and Ofer Winter's "Am Israel" party. Hendel and Zelekha claim they offered Winter a surplus agreement in exchange for his commitment to join only a Zionist coalition, an offer they allege he refused. They stated that Winter had approached them the previous evening seeking an agreement but did not agree to their conditions, leading them to decline the pact.

"Am Israel" vehemently denied these claims, calling them a "delusional and false spin" from "old politics." The party asserted that no such offer was made and criticized Hendel and Zelekha, referencing Hendel's history of party changes and his past government participation with Mansour Abbas, and Zelekha's support for Meretz, questioning their moral standing.

Hendel and Zelekha reiterated their position, stating they view Winter as a worthy potential partner but cannot risk their voters' support going to the "Haredi bloc of Netanyahu" if Winter does not commit to a Zionist government. They urged Winter to choose an alliance with them over one with the Haredi parties.

Meanwhile, several other parties have already finalized their surplus vote agreements. The "Change Bloc" parties, including Naftali Bennett's "Yachad" with Avigdor Lieberman's "Yisrael Beiteinu," and Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" with Yair Golan's "Democratim," have signed deals. The Joint List, led by Yosef Jabareen, has an agreement with Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas. The Likud, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, has a pact with Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, and the Haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, have also signed agreements.

Parties that have not yet signed include Itamar Ben-Gvir's "Otzma Yehudit," Benny Gantz's "Blue and White," and the parties involved in the current dispute. Yosef Haddad, second in command at "Am Israel," publicly urged Itamar Ben-Gvir to sign a surplus agreement, advising him to "stop being a child, grow up" and sign if he doesn't want to endanger the right-wing camp.

Surplus vote agreements are arrangements between Knesset lists to distribute remaining seats after the initial allocation, aiming to prevent wasted votes. The system, known as the Bader-Ofer method, ensures that parties that narrowly miss out on seats can still gain representation through these pacts, often benefiting larger parties but also offering opportunities for smaller ones.