Big names, doubtful chances: The trap of Ardan, Edelstein and Bloch

In Israeli politics, an amazing paradox has been forming in recent weeks: if you ask the average Israeli if they prefer a narrow right-wing government, a narrow government of change, or a unity government — the third option has quite a few buyers. But when the sellers come to offer the product of the "third bloc" and the forcing of a unity government — no one shows up.

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Many Israelis, in a magnitude reaching 10 mandates, declare their desire to abandon bloc politics. Nevertheless, in the polls, no party from the third bloc rises higher than the four-mandate threshold, within the statistical margin of error — and most do not pass the electoral threshold at all.

So why is there no demand for their product? Apparently, these parties are headed by well-known figures, most of whom do not arouse sharp controversy and enjoy relative sympathy. They also have attractive lists — Aliza Bloch was a sought-after figure across the entire political spectrum — but it seems that simply nothing helps.

In the third bloc, the understanding is strengthening that if there is not just one party, none of the parties will succeed in passing the electoral threshold, but in the meantime, it seems that no possibility of a large union is progressing.

Benny Gantz and Blue and White refuse to give up the first place, and insist on continuing the run despite the polls that are, to put it mildly, unflattering. The same goes for Tropper and Hendel, who after a slight rise in the polls to the 5-mandate range, found themselves again below the electoral threshold.

So where do we go from here? It seems that the real battle in the bloc is who will be the last one left with their head above water until the closing of the lists. Gilad Ardan may have started the campaign poorly, but his rivals in the bloc are also not in a brilliant state.

Tropper holds offers for places and senior positions in the other parties of the bloc, Hendel may eventually join one of the unions even without him — and Gantz, as mentioned, persists in his refusal to give up the first place.

All this eventually converges to one point: is there a figure capable of sweeping these mandates at all, and leading the third bloc? None of the players seem significant enough, and it seems that all the unity parties might watch the next Knesset from home and end with a crushing defeat. In this case, even Aliza Bloch will not help.