Opposition Parties Clash Over "Big Party" Campaign Strategy

Just one day before the polls open, tensions are escalating within the Israeli opposition. Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats and a retired general, launched a sharp attack on the "Big Party" campaign led by Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu party. Golan accused Eisenkot's campaign of undermining the strength of the entire opposition bloc.

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Together party, also joined the dispute, rejecting the strategy promoted by Eisenkot's associates. Golan stated that Eisenkot is a worthy leader, but his "Big Party" campaign is a dangerous lie that weakens the Democrats and the public who have protested for democracy over the past four years. He argued that a bloc without strong Democrats is a weak bloc, prone to collapse under pressure.

The core of the dispute revolves around whether concentrating votes in Eisenkot's party will help the "change bloc" form a government, or if it will harm other parties within the camp. While Eisenkot's circle emphasizes maximizing Yisrael Beiteinu's size, Golan contends that strengthening all parties in the bloc is key to ousting the current government. Golan recalled the previous election, where Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, ran a similar campaign, which he claims was unsuccessful in increasing one party at the expense of its partners.

Golan stressed that Israel's electoral system does not function that way, citing the previous election loss under Lapid's "Big Party" campaign. He asserted that the bloc's strength is measured by its total mandate count, not the size of a single party. "To form a government, you need a majority in the bloc, and to lead real change, you need a backbone," Golan declared, urging his supporters not to be swayed by Eisenkot's campaign messages. He concluded by calling on Eisenkot, with whom he served in the IDF, to work together rather than against each other.

Bennett echoed Golan's criticism, dismissing the "Big Party" campaign as nonsense that harms the bloc. He argued that the idea of voting for a larger party is a lie, as Israeli law does not prioritize party size, and past attempts to do so, like with Tzipi Livni and Benny Gantz, resulted in election losses for the opposition. Meirav Ben Ari, fourth on the Together list, also criticized the campaign as unnecessary and ineffective in attracting new voters, emphasizing the grassroots efforts of her party.

Behind the scenes, there is a quieter struggle within the "Together" list, with "Yesh Atid" competing with Eisenkot for the second ten seats. Eisenkot is reportedly facing a covert campaign against him within his own party, with concerns that his list is more fragile than others. The article notes that Eisenkot initially brought right-wing and religious Zionist figures into his list when Bennett joined forces with Lapid, while Bennett retained his original list and "Yesh Atid" members. "Yisrael" argues that the focus should be on defeating Netanyahu and the type of leadership, not on candidate placement, citing Elisaf Peretz as bringing votes from the other side, unlike Vladimir Beliak who will enter the Knesset via the Norwegian Law. They also suggest Bennett is trying to leverage the opportunity created by his alliance with Lapid to attract voters from within the bloc.