As the clocks tick down the final 48-hours before voting begins, the unchanging polls seem to solidify conventional wisdoms concerning the outcome of Israel’s general election. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud party is running virtually even with the new Blue and White coalition, but in the event the newbies manage to pull more seats in parliament, Prime Minister Netanyahu is still expected to retain the prime minister’s portfolio by virtue of his Likud Party’s ability to form a coalition of more than 60 seats in parliament while the newcomer party presumably cannot. Nevertheless, Netanyahu, who is often portrayed as the Israeli least confident of his political strength, has surprised many by calling up the image of his most difficult [read controversial] moment of the last election. In 2015, Netanyahu was strongly condemned – even accused of racism – for urging voters to turn out on election day because “Arab voters are moving in droves [to the polls].” The controversy the comment unleashed has become indelibly etched in the annals of negative campaigning and anti-Netanyahu talking points, so it surprises many that the PM has chosen this time around to warn that his opponents are prepared to allow the Arab bloc into the coalition if the opposition defeats Netanyahu. Ironically, those traditional parties in opposition seeking to tap into the space the new Blue and White party is filling at their expense are hysterically suggesting that when the dust settles, BW head Benny Gantz will end up sitting in Netanyahu’s cabinet – a scenario denied by all of the players and believed by a majority of Israelis.
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