Two days before the deadline for Israel’s political parties to submit their election rosters, much of the public’s attention remains focused on the large, mainstream parties. Rumours of last-minute mergers – for instance, between Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot – are spreading. The small, nominally centrist parties are gradually disappearing; first, Yuli Edelstein and Gilad Erdan’s center-right Unity party folded last week; on Sunday, Yoaz Hendel and Chili Tropper announced that they will not run together under the Zionist Home merger.
