Who needs unity? Israel’s ‘third bloc’ collapses before election deadline

Israel's "Third Bloc," a coalition of small right-leaning and centrist parties aiming for a broad unity government, has largely collapsed ahead of the election deadline. Despite initial fanfare and high-profile figures, the bloc struggled to gain public traction. Ayelet Shaked, a key potential figure, announced her decision to stay out of the race, stating, "I had hoped that after October 7, the political reality in Israel would change," but observed that "the political system is converging around the same patterns of camps and boycotts."

• Gilad Erdan's Unity party and Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel’s Zionist Home-Reservists party have both dissolved.
• Benny Gantz's Blue and White party, initially a founder of this bloc, is now fighting for its own survival, with lawmaker Michael Biton expected to retire.
• The collapse has inadvertently benefited Gadi Eisenkot, who absorbed Hili Tropper into his slate, though personal tensions with Gantz remain.
• The failure highlights the difficulty of translating the desire for unity into viable political power in Israel's polarized landscape.