Netanyahu Develops Strategy to Counter Small Right-Wing Parties Threatening Vote Split

Ahead of the September 18 deadline for finalizing election lists, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is addressing the risk posed by eight small right-wing parties that may fail to pass the electoral threshold and thus waste votes from the right-wing bloc. This concern arises after the previous elections were decided by votes lost below the threshold on the left. Netanyahu released a video urging voters not to support these minor parties, which include Gilad Erdan's Unity, an unnamed party led by Ofer Winter, Moshe Feiglin's Zehut, Yaron Zelekha's economic party, Avi Maoz's Noam, Sharren Haskel and Jonathan Pollard's Israel First, and two small Haredi parties threatening Shas and United Torah Judaism by potentially splitting their votes.

Over the past weekend, Netanyahu held discussions and formulated a strategy for the remaining two weeks until the candidate lists close. He plans to politically attack Ofer Winter, rejecting advice to embrace him, suspecting Winter might join the opposition camp or siphon votes from Bezalel Smotrich. Netanyahu intends to largely ignore Gilad Erdan despite previous attacks on the former minister by Likud. Additionally, Netanyahu aims to dissuade Moshe Feiglin and Avi Maoz from running without offering them list placements or compensation.

Separately, former Knesset member Roy Folkman, previously part of Erdan's Unity party, is re-entering politics and has met with several parties, notably former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot. Eizenkot's list currently lacks experienced parliamentarians and may recruit Folkman to strengthen its ranks. Eizenkot has announced 15 candidates so far but will likely need to reveal at least 30 by the September 18 deadline, unveiling them at a pace of about one per day.