Israel’s parties in 72-hour race to merge or survive before election deadline

As the 10 p.m. Tuesday deadline for submitting Knesset candidate lists approaches, the Israeli political landscape is defined by intense pressure on parties polling near the 3.25% electoral threshold. In the previous election, approximately 417,000 votes—about 9% of the total—were wasted on parties that failed to qualify. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively pushing for further mergers within the right-wing bloc to prevent vote splitting. Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot, former IDF chief of staff and leader of the Yashar! party, has promised political "surprises" in the coming days, fueling speculation about a potential merger with former prime minister Naftali Bennett. Conversely, former defense minister Benny Gantz faces mounting pressure to withdraw, as his Blue and White party continues to poll below the threshold. Gilad Erdan, Israel’s former UN ambassador, became the first major candidate to bow out, citing the need to act responsibly and ensure that voters' ballots influence the final outcome rather than being lost.