Full Breakdown
Change Bloc Leaders Convene to Coordinate Ahead of Israeli Election
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Coordination Meeting
Opposition leader Yair Lapid hosted the four principal parties of the “change bloc” – Naftali Bennett (B’Yachad), Gadi Eisenkot (Yashar), Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) and Yair Golan (The Democrats) – at his Tel Aviv home on Saturday night. The leaders signed a joint document committing to voter-turnout drives, a pledge not to attack one another, and a plan to draft principles for a post-election government. The agreement did not resolve the bloc’s prime-ministerial candidate or coalition-building process.
Background & Context
The bloc combines centrist Yashar, right-leaning B’Yachad, secular-nationalist Yisrael Beytenu and left-leaning Democrats. Past cooperation produced the 2021-2022 Bennett-Lapid government, but disputes over strategy and Arab-party involvement have resurfaced as the October 27 election approaches.
Data & Statistics
- Zman Yisrael poll (Wed-Thu) projected both the Netanyahu coalition and the change bloc at 53 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
- 67 % of bloc supporters said the parties should rally behind a single prime-ministerial candidate.
- Party-level projections: Yashar 23 seats, B’Yachad 12, Yisrael Beytenu 10, Democrats 8.
- Channel 13 poll showed the change bloc ahead 52-51 and gave the joint Reservists-Economic list four seats.
- N12 poll of first-time voters (?550,000 eligible) indicated 16 % for Yashar, 14 % for Likud, 10 % for B’Yachad, 7 % for the Democrats; Religious Zionism and Yisrael Beytenu each attracted 6 %.
Official Statements & Responses
- Eisenkot told 103 FM that weekly coordination meetings continue despite “substantive disagreements,” emphasizing a “common goal” to defeat the incumbent government.
- Bennett said the bloc could win 63 seats and “fix Israel,” noting participants “put aside personal considerations.”
- Liberman, signing the joint statement, demanded a bloc-wide strategy to stop parties from competing for the “largest-party” advantage and warned against a minority government reliant on Arab support.
Criticism & Opposition
- MK Oded Forer (Yisrael Beytenu) accused Eisenkot of “fueling Bibi’s campaign” and argued the bloc must attract votes from other camps.
- Tension surfaced when Eisenkot and Liberman disagreed on whether a government could be formed without a 61-MK Zionist majority.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The Zman Yisrael and Channel 13 polls differ on overall bloc standings (53 seats each vs. a 52-51 lead) and on whether the Reservists-Economic list clears the threshold.
- Projections for smaller parties such as Otzma Yehudit and Shas vary, creating uncertainty about the balance of power held by Arab-majority parties, which both blocs claim they will not rely on.
- No source provided a definitive mechanism for selecting the bloc’s prime-ministerial candidate.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Ahmad Tibi is the person most courted by the coalition; he helped them bring down the government. I'm not getting into that at all.” — Gadi Eisenkot
What’s Next
The October 27 election is scheduled, after which the president will consult Knesset factions to appoint a candidate tasked with forming a governing coalition. The bloc’s ability to present a unified prime-ministerial candidate and negotiate with potential partners will determine whether it can convert its projected seat count into a functional government.