Political Analyst Shlomo Filber Warns Small Parties Could Cost Right-Wing Bloc Election Victory

Political analyst and attorney Shlomo Filber issued a stark warning ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections during an interview on Channel 14's "Israel HaBoker" program. Filber highlighted the risk posed by small right-wing parties failing to pass the electoral threshold, which could lead to a significant loss of votes and potentially cost the right-wing bloc its current majority in polls.

Referring to a recent Channel 14 poll showing Likud with 32 seats and a substantial lead over Yesh Atid, Filber cautioned that if small parties continue to run independently and "burn votes," the right-wing bloc could lose three to four critical seats. This loss could be decisive, possibly enabling the opposition to form a government with Arab party support, dramatically altering Israel's political landscape.

Filber noted that the political map has stabilized recently, with figures like Gadi Eisenkot reaching their ceiling and Naftali Bennett hitting a floor, while the opposition bloc is well-organized. However, the proliferation of small right-wing parties, some formed for bargaining leverage, threatens to fragment votes. He cited the example of Itamar Ben-Gvir, who once received 85,000 votes alone, causing repeated elections, but later only 19,000 votes when the public understood the implications.

Concluding, Filber emphasized the critical nature of the potential vote loss, stating it could reduce the right-wing bloc's seats by three to four mandates, a margin that could decisively influence the election outcome and shift Israel's political balance.