Netanyahu’s Israeli rivals unite ahead of parliamentary election

One month before Israel’s parliamentary election, leaders of five parties opposing Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to cooperate and halt verbal attacks on one another in an effort to strengthen rival blocs and try to form an alternative cabinet.

Israeli Channel 12 reported that the meeting was held in Tel Aviv and hosted by opposition leader Yair Lapid. According to the report, the participants pledged to refrain from attacking each other, both until the election and in the period after it.

The meeting was attended by Yair Lapid, Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and Yair Golan. After the meeting, they released a joint photo as well as a document setting out the principles of their electoral and political coordination.

According to the document, three joint teams are to be formed within 48 hours. Their aim is to increase support for opposition parties, prepare for election day and safeguard what was described as the transparency of the election.

These moves come as Israel’s parliamentary election unfolds amid intense competition between Netanyahu’s supporters and his opponents, with coalition-building among parties seen as one of the main axes of the race.