Meet the ‘Third Bloc’ of right-wing parties pushing for a ‘Zionist unity government’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"The last several weeks have seen a series of announcements by disaffected nationalist politicians establishing new parties aimed at drawing votes away from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud and forcing a compromise with Zionist opposition parties to create what one described as a “broad Zionist unity government.”Israeli politics has long been divided into two camps, that of Netanyahu’s Likud and its associated supporters in the far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties and the so-called Change Bloc of Zionist opposition factions such as former prime minister Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar.However, the leaders of this new “Third Bloc” aim to shift this dynamic, hoping to replace the ultra-Orthodox as the country’s electoral kingmakers and broker a deal…
Several new right-wing parties, dubbed the “Third Bloc,” have emerged in Israel, aiming to form a “broad Zionist unity government” and act as kingmakers in the upcoming October 27 election. These factions, including Zionist Home-The Reservists led by Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper, and Unity formed by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, seek to draw votes from Likud and challenge the traditional pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs. They advocate for Haredi conscription and a government not reliant on ultra-Orthodox or Arab parties. Benny Gantz’s Blue and White also aligns with this bloc’s goals. However, internal divisions, particularly on potential coalition partners, and low poll numbers suggest these parties face significant challenges in achieving their objectives.
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