With just over a week remaining until the election, Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid on Sunday made a bold change in his campaign’s direction, sending a series of late-night text messages to potential supporters warning that parties that are projected to win just a handful of seats will not be able to make a real difference.
“Parties with five seats do not change government and parties with six do not save democracy,” read a text signed by Lapid and sent to hundreds of thousands of people, alluding to the Blue and White and Labor parties, which are currently projected within that range.
Pointing a finger directly at Blue and White, which Yesh Atid had once been allied with but split from last year when its leader Benny Gantz agreed to form a government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lapid said: “Everyone involved in this bloated and wasteful government has kept Netanyahu in Balfour” street, where the Prime Minister’s Residence is located.
“According to Yesh Atid’s data, Meretz will be crossing the threshold and we are not trying to take votes away from Meretz; we are not targeting Meretz,” the source said.
“It is clear to Lapid that none of the parties in the left-wing bloc will pull out before the election,” a party source said. “Therefore, his entire move to siphon seats endangers hundreds of thousands of votes of the bloc.”
Labor likewise said that Lapid was weakening the bloc.
“While Netanyahu is fighting for [far-right Otzma Yehudit chair Itamar] Ben Gvir to pass the electoral threshold and strengthen the bloc, Lapid is working to remain without a bloc,” the Labor party said in a statement.
