Netanyahu’s election plan falters as Israel’s right splinters

With less than two weeks remaining before the deadline to finalize candidate lists for Israel’s 2026 election, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing significant resistance in his efforts to consolidate the right-wing bloc. Netanyahu had aimed to organize his allies into four distinct lists to ensure all parties clear the 3.25% electoral threshold, but currently, six right-wing parties are competing independently.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, has repeatedly rejected Netanyahu’s calls to merge with Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party. Ben-Gvir has stated that his decision to run independently is final. Reports indicate that attempts by Netanyahu to arrange joint meetings have failed due to Ben-Gvir’s refusal to engage.

Retired IDF general Ofer Winter, who recently launched the Amcha Yisrael party, presents another challenge. Positioning his party as a fresh alternative to the political establishment following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Winter has insisted on running alone. His party is also actively campaigning among Arab Israelis, featuring activist Yoseph Haddad to broaden its appeal.

Netanyahu’s concern extends beyond the risk of wasted votes; he fears that the rise of smaller parties, particularly Ben-Gvir’s, could cannibalize support from his own Likud party. Meanwhile, negotiations between Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut party are reportedly progressing. As the electoral map becomes increasingly fragmented, Netanyahu faces a difficult path to securing a stable governing coalition.