Report: Blue and White Party leaders preparing to ‘part ways’

A party insider told Israel Hayom that Gantz and Lapid have been running campaigns from separate headquarters and have different spokespeople.

By World Israel News Staff 

“The atmosphere in Blue and White is that we will be parting ways the day after the election,” says a source involved in the bloc, which includes a few different parties that joined forces before the April Knesset election and is running again in the parliamentary ballot scheduled for September 17. The source is quoted by the Israel Hayom daily.

Blue and White tied with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud in April and is neck and neck with the incumbent ruling party in polls ahead of the upcoming election as well.

However, a video clip published by MK Yair Lapid, second on the Blue and White list, which suggests that religious parties are prepared to show unconditional loyalty to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in order to receive money and political promises, has exacerbated already existing tensions within the alliance.

Some have charged that the political ad included anti-Semitic tropes.

The third candidate on the Blue and White list, MK Moshe Ya’alon, has in the past expressed his concern over Lapid’s leading role in the bloc, arguing that he is a divisive force in a political faction that strives for national unity.

After the controversial ad was released, Ya’alon told Israel Army Radio: “It is not my style nor that of Benny Gantz,” the leader of Blue and White.

“We will find the way to clarify this between us,” Ya’alon added.

The source quoted by Israel Hayom points out that Gantz and Lapid have been running campaigns from separate headquarters and have different spokespeople.

The source also notes that candidates comprising the Blue and White list have not broken off from their own parties, but that is not unusual and has been the case with a number of joint factions that have run in Knesset elections.

As a potential sign of discontent, Ya’alon’s party (Telem) asked the Central Elections Committee for its own registration form ahead of the submission of lists last week for Israel’s September election.

Ya’alon remains on the Blue and White list. However, the source quoted by Israel Hayom maintains that the different parties which make up the list are interested in keeping their options open for a potential pullout from Blue and White after September 17.