Recent polls may not bode well for the Right and the prime minister's legal troubles make his political future look ambiguous, but make no mistake – the 55-member right-wing bloc is alive and kicking and the rumors of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.
These rumors are the work of interested parties in the opposition, or right-wing bloc insiders who have no firsthand information about its plans. Barring an unexpected surprise of catastrophic proportions, the right-wing bloc will again band together, in thick and thin, to try and form the next government or, heaven forbid, win another election.
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Blue and White's leaders have taken to every possible stage in recent days, claiming that once the Knesset was dissolved and the 2020 election campaign was announced the right-wing bloc effectively ceased to exist, but their motivation is clear: Their only hope to form a government is to see the bloc wither away.
Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman – the would-be kingmaker who has been the stumbling block in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to form a government following the past two election campaigns – has also been touting the so-called demise of the 55-member bloc.
Lieberman was quick to announce Monday that ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism have already inked a coalition deal with Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, but the truth is that statement was little more than wishful thinking at best, and false election propaganda at worst.
Lieberman's campaign will again focus on Yisrael Beytenu's anti-haredi platform and he has no interest in competing with Blue and White, which stands to cost him precious votes.
Shas leader Aryeh Deri made it clear on Monday that the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party plans to endorse Netanyahu, as did senior United Torah Judaism MK Moshe Gafni. Both said that their respective parties see Netanyahu as a true ally who, despite being persecuted by the legal system, is favored by their constituents.
The staunch support the prime minister receives from the party heads comprising the right-wing bloc supersedes the loyalty of some Likud lawmakers. And this support will be exactly what allows Netanyahu to shape the right-wing bloc so as to maximize his electoral power.
Netanyahu and the members of the right-wing bloc know they are facing an uphill battle. The polls are downright ominous, predicting, at best, no decisive victory. Perhaps that is why the bloc's members are clinging to each other as if they were drowning. Whatever the reason, the voters have to remember that the right-wing bloc is as solid as a rock.
