War in the 'Change Bloc': Bennett and Lapid attack Eisenkot - 'Their situation is hopeless'

The struggle for the leadership of the opposition bloc is intensifying: former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (Behad) attacked the chairman of Yashar!, Gadi Eisenkot, and said that "his conscription plan is a crazy mistake." Bennett made the remarks in an interview with Yishai Cohen (Kikar HaShabbat) and added that "Gafni and Deri will once again spin the politician on duty and it will end in nothing."

Also, Knesset member Ram Ben-Barak (Behad), in a conversation with Anat Davidov and Nissim Mishal on 103FM radio, addressed Eisenkot's rise and clarified one key point that he claims is still missing for him: "I think that what Gadi Eisenkot presents, who is also my friend, is 180 degrees from Netanyahu. The public is so fed up with what it sees and wants the opposite of this matter. We have not yet managed to convince that what is important now is the matter of experience."

According to him, "What Eisenkot lacks is experience in government work, it's not the army; Bennett has it, the MKs of Yesh Atid have it. I am sure that we will rise in the polls and in the end we will also form the government. I think that after seven years that I have been in politics, people understand that I am not leaving and I am not constantly looking for where it is best for me and going there. Eisenkot and I talk and he knows that it is irrelevant."

Ronen Zur: "Bennett is running a campaign without a clear strategy"; Ramon: "An escape route from the danger zone"

Communications consultant and strategist Ronen Zur claimed that Bennett's conduct towards Eisenkot reflects strategic helplessness and a campaign line that is not consistent. "Bennett found himself in this campaign in strategic helplessness, which is also reflected in his fickle attitude towards Eisenkot: at first he attacked him, then he hugged him, and now he has returned to attack," said Zur. "It is evident that in the journey to crack the way to rise in mandates, Bennett is navigating without a map and without stars, but based on gut feelings."

According to him, Bennett should have built a clear story around his candidacy and formulated a precise campaign that would support him. "There are 90 days left until the elections, and Bennett still has no strategy, no narrative, and his campaign is fickle," he said. Zur estimated that if the trend does not change, Bennett may find himself under heavy political pressure. "He may find himself under pressure to resign if he does not pave an escape route for himself from the single-digit danger zone."

Former minister Haim Ramon estimated that the attacks from Bennett and Lapid are not expected to return mandates to them, and may even serve Netanyahu himself. "Their situation is hopeless. They have no ability to stop the drift, which could very well end in a single-digit number," he said. According to him, "Their attack on Eisenkot actually serves Netanyahu. They might hurt Eisenkot, but they will not gain mandates."

Ramon claimed that Eisenkot should set an unequivocal demand before the bloc's parties: to commit that whoever stands at the head of the largest party in the camp will be the candidate for prime minister. "All the people of the bloc must commit that whoever the largest party in the bloc will be - the one standing at its head will be the prime minister," he said.

Eisenkot against Bennett's statement on Qatar

Yesterday, Eisenkot addressed Bennett's statement in which the latter said that he would officially declare Qatar an enemy state. At a press conference he held at Kibbutz Nir Oz, Eisenkot said: "I hear the discourse and I completely accept the role that Qatar plays against Israel - in Gaza, and in international activity. Israel must examine and make decisions regarding its policy towards Qatar, in consultation with the Mossad, Shin Bet, and the National Security Council. I do not suggest that this be done as a result of a political gimmick, especially from those who were in positions of influence as defense ministers, prime ministers, and could make decisions. I say this as one who knows the subject closely from the cabinet. It should be accepted as a serious decision and not as some kind of election statement. Qatar has a very negative role against Israel."

The mandates remain in the bloc - but move to Eisenkot

The public confrontation comes against the background of the change in the map of mandates within the opposition bloc. A "Maariv" poll published on July 27 shows that the united party "Behad" is weakening, but the encouraging news for the bloc is that the votes are not migrating to the other side of the map - most of them remain in the bloc and move mainly to "Yashar!" headed by Eisenkot.

In the month preceding the establishment of "Behad", the Bennett 2026 party stood at an average of 24 mandates in "Maariv" polls, while Yesh Atid stood at an average of seven mandates and was in a slow but consistent downward trend. Together, the two parties then held a combined power of 31 mandates.

However, at the same time, an opposite process took place with Eisenkot. In the month before the union between Bennett and Lapid, "Yashar!" stood at an average of 13 mandates. Since then it has been growing almost continuously, and in the last poll it reached a peak of 23 mandates - ten more than before the establishment of "Behad".

Cracks in the alliance with Lapid

"Maariv" commentator Matti Tuchfeld wrote last month that Bennett's political distress is also radiating onto the partnership with Yair Lapid. According to him, the alliance that was built as a "historic agreement" is beginning to become a political burden.

In Lapid's environment and in Yesh Atid, according to the publication, voices of restlessness are beginning to be heard. Knesset members in the party, many of whom see their mandates eroding following the union, understand that if the trend continues - some of them may not enter the next Knesset. When the threat to their political future becomes tangible, Tuchfeld wrote, the loyalty to the agreement also begins to erode.

In an interview with 103FM, Tuchfeld said that in the political system, the assessment is forming that Eisenkot is the candidate who may lead the opposition camp. "The working assumption of all pollsters in the political system is that whoever will lead the bloc will be Eisenkot, who is rising, while Bennett and Lapid are falling."