A well-known rule in Israeli politics states that the whole is smaller than its parts, and there are still situations that justify party connections. Labor and Meretz reunited this week, knowing that the connection does jeopardize two mandates - but the blocking percentage jeopardizes an entire party.
Naftali Bennett, on the other hand, initially made a legitimate claim: Dealing with two heads to the right of the Likud may be justified if one of the two parties gives a moderate religious-liberal public and a liberal right, and these do not have to alienate our home or blue in Israel. But the connection to Smutrich deviated this logic. Shaked and Bennett left the Jewish home in the first place because "Tkuma" took over the agenda there, and here they are again.
There is a lot of logic in separate running, on two lists, if there are any significant ideological differences between the two. It is also reasonable to decide to run together if there is a concern that one of the lists will not pass the blocking percentage. But Bennett and Shaked seem to have chosen the third option. Also, swallow a fish that smuggles liberal voters, and also risk being expelled from the city, which means they will not pass the blocking percentage.
It's just like Amir Peretz was running with Tamar Zandberg in front of Nitzan Horowitz, who joined Itzik Shmuli. They also go on two small lists, and also reduce the electoral potential.
Two religious parties are therefore set to quarrel over the same target audience this month: a right-wing religious ultra-Orthodox, and perhaps part of the mainstream religious Zionist community that feels it has no party. The knit voter will be engaged until the election day on an almost impossible mission: a new right Compared to the powerful Jewish home. Find the differences. Each one explains that she is the religious Zionist party. Why?
Two similar agenda lists are about to quarrel with each other instead of the left for five weeks, solely because Sharpie Peretz and Bezalel Smutrich did not get along or Naftali Bennett would not sit down with Itamar Ben Gvir. No one will remember the cause in the end, but the result is two parts that will decrease.
The battle between Bennett-Shaked-Smutrich and Rafi Peretz-Itamar Ben Gvir is a quarrel aboard a ship carrying two very similar parties, but different in human composition. All that remains to be seen is who will drop the water into water, which means who will not pass the blockage percentage. Notice what's going on: The right is almost certainly throwing in the trash four seats because of the split, and liberal right-wing voters might look for a new home for them. Sure, the right to the Likud could give Benny Gantz, and his way to the left, a gift tomorrow.