Israeli politics grows more personal, especially on the center-left

A Hebrew opinion piece argues that the new political names and alliances forming ahead of Israel’s 2026 elections reflect a broader weakening of the party system. It says the trend is marked by frequent new groupings, the decline of old parties, rapid turnover, and voters shifting between factions from one election to the next.

The article says the national camp remains comparatively stable, led by Likud and the two ultra-Orthodox lists, Shas and United Torah Judaism. It singles out Benjamin Netanyahu, Aryeh Deri and Moshe Gafni as examples of unusually steady political figures. By contrast, the writer says the national-religious sector has repeatedly changed its political format, citing recent combinations such as Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, and earlier arrangements involving Yamina, the New Right and Religious Zionism.

The strongest instability, the article says, is in the center-left. It lists former labels such as the Zionist Union, Hosen L’Yisrael and Blue and White, alongside newer projects including The Democrats, a joint Labor-Meretz list, a partnership between Yesh Atid and Bennett 2026, and Yashar led by Gadi Eisenkot. According to the piece, polls suggest most opposition votes will go to these new formations, though it remains unclear whether this is the final lineup or just another stage in the process.

The article argues that the key explanation is personalization, meaning parties built around one dominant leader. It says these are effectively personal vehicles whose fate is tied to the leader, noting that Yesh Atid without Yair Lapid, Bennett 2026 without Naftali Bennett, or Yashar without Eisenkot would not survive. It also points to the fact that many voters are asked to support lists whose full candidate rosters are still unknown, and says the important question now is what concrete policy these leaders plan to pursue.