🗳️ NETANYAHU PRESSES SMALL RIGHT-WING PARTIES AS GAFNI SIGNALS EISENKOT: Netanyahu warned that former general Ofer Winter could cause other right-wing parties to fall below the electoral threshold if Winter crosses it himself, saying: “I have no personal problem with him, but a national concern.” He called on Winter, Avi Maoz and Moshe Feiglin to merge with existing parties or withdraw.
UTJ’s Moshe Gafni said the Likud “did not take care of our children” and suggested his party may need to consider aligning with the left, while seeking to make clear that he intends to recommend Gadi Eisenkot. It remains unclear whether the position represents an election-eve maneuver.
🔎 LIKUD ORDERS ANOTHER BE’ER YA’AKOV RECOUNT: The Likud Election Committee, headed by retired Judge Menachem Ne’eman, ordered another recount of ballot boxes in Be’er Ya’akov. The results are to be incorporated into the final results following appeals on Thursday, with Likud saying it is acting in accordance with directives from the party tribunal and election committee.
🏛️ MANSOUR ABBAS REAFFIRMS PALESTINIAN NARRATIVE AND POSITION ON ISRAEL’S JEWISH CHARACTER: Ra’am chairman Mansour Abbas rejected claims that he denies the Nakba, Palestinian displacement or the Palestinian historical narrative, saying his political language has changed as he has pursued greater Arab participation and influence in Israeli politics but that his underlying positions have not.
Abbas described Israel’s Jewish character as “an existing reality that was imposed upon us and was not something we chose,” saying it reflects the choice of the Jewish majority and that Arab parties have been compelled to accept that reality in practical terms to avoid potential disqualification from Knesset and local elections. He said his priorities include strengthening Arab citizens’ national and civil rights, participating in government, advancing the Arab community’s interests and preventing harm to it, while reiterating support for Palestinian self-determination and a Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called Abbas “a dangerous enemy, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Netanyahu separately reiterated his campaign argument that Eisenkot would be unable to form a government without Yair Golan and the Arab parties.
🤝 ISRAEL RECONSIDERS PUBLIC CONFRONTATION WITH U.S. ENVOY TOM BARRACK: According to Al-Monitor, Israel is reassessing its public hostility toward Barrack after he described the Israeli strike on Syria’s Abu al-Duhur Air Base as an “unnecessary escalation.” A senior Israeli diplomatic source said Barrack may “not be perfect for us,” but emphasized that he represents President Trump and has a longstanding relationship with him.
The source said Israel does not expect Barrack to be replaced and should instead seek to work with him, arguing that “Barrack should not be the problem, but the solution.” Al-Monitor reported that the change in approach may be connected to Netanyahu’s desire to secure Trump’s support ahead of Israel’s October elections.
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