The feeling there, at least at the moment, is ambivalent. On the one hand, the withdrawal of Balad may qualify a partnership of the center-left bloc with the remaining leaders of the list – Ayman Odeh and Ahmed Tibi – but on the other hand, there is a fear that the dissolution will increase the frustration in Arab society and seriously damage the already low voter turnout.
Senior officials in Beish Atid say that Lapid was not involved in the split, but in the past he spoke many times with Tibi and Odah and made it clear to them that with the extremism of Balad it is not possible to promote a partnership. The starting point in Beish Atid is that Balad has few voters anyway and the more cooperation with As Arab society expands, its power is correspondingly weakened.
As part of the strategy, Yesh Atid operates a wide-area headquarters in Arab society whose goal is to increase the percentage of votes in the sector, not necessarily for Lapid’s party. The general message is: no matter who, just go out and vote. All this, with the understanding that high turnout percentages will serve the bloc and make it difficult for Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu to reach 61 mandates. Within the framework of the field headquarters, coordinators and activists are employed who convey the messages in the Arabic language. The division of labor is through headquarters and areas of responsibility and includes telemarketing, persuasive talks Home classes and door-to-door activity.
In Likud, at the same time, they are carefully following the events. There they understand that the game with Arab society is still delicate, and because of this they refuse to put their hands in the mud. At first the Likud believed that it was Lapid who led to the split in order to legitimize a partnership with Hadash and Tal, and then they became convinced that this was an authentic crisis – but not one that is currently causing outrage in the Arab street. There the division is interpreted as one that resulted from ego games.
This evening, Netanyahu published a rendering of a photo showing Prime Minister Lapid next to Tel Aviv Chairman Ahmed Tibi and RA Chairman Mansor Abbas, inside the sinkhole that opened in the Ayalon lanes. If you want, a hint that Likud thinks Lapid worked for the split of the joint venture, in order to prepare a partnership in the next government not only with Ra’am.
Likud’s strategy is not expected to change following the liquidation of the joint venture, and in order not to take any risks, the main effort will continue to be to galvanize right-wing voters. Likud understands that external interference in what is going on in Arab society could be dangerous for them, or in other words – they have no intention of creating stirring events.
The Likud campaign had two messages, and they will continue with them in the party going forward. The first – the bloc led by Lapid cannot form a government without the Muslim Brotherhood, a message that seems to be effective on the right, at least at this point in time. The second – only the Likud can establish a stable government for four years. As in the previous election campaigns, the challenge will be similar: to get the indifferent voters out of their homes.