The four leading parties in Israel’s opposition “change camp” have finalized two surplus-vote agreements ahead of the upcoming elections.

Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad party will sign an agreement with Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! party will partner with Yair Golan’s Democrats.

The agreements effectively divide the bloc into two political partnerships.

Yashar! said Eisenkot had worked in recent weeks to organize the “camp of change and hope,” adding that the agreements will help prevent votes from being wasted.

“We welcome the fact that every vote from Israelis seeking change and the replacement of the October 7 failure government will go to one of the change parties,” the party said.

The Democrats said the agreement with Yashar! will help maximize the camp’s strength and advance their goal of forming a “strong, statesmanlike and democratic government.”

The agreements come after reports that both Eisenkot and Bennett had separately approached Lieberman about signing with Yisrael Beiteinu.

Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich slammed the Eisenkot-Golan agreement, warning that right-wing voters who support Eisenkot will ultimately receive Golan as defense minister and a senior government partner.

Smotrich accused the two parties of planning to establish a dangerous left-wing government that would dismantle Jewish communities and farms in Judea and Samaria, create a Palestinian state and target Channel 14 and the Bnei David pre-military academy.

“An authentic right-wing voter does not get confused and votes only for Religious Zionism and the national camp,” Smotrich said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)