Alliance that could challenge PM unlikely

Labor recruits a general for its list

The bloc of multiple parties running together that polls showed could have posed a serious threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very unlikely to be formed by Thursday night’s deadline for lists to be submitted to the Central Elections Committee, sources in the parties said on Tuesday night.

Former IDF chiefs of staff Benny Gantz and Moshe Ya’alon unveiled their joint Israel-Resilience-Telem list at the Tel Aviv Fairgrounds. But it was not attended by potential partners like Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, Gesher head Orly Levy-Abecassis or Haredi Women’s College founder Adina Bar-Shalom.

Sources in the parties said attempts to make new political mergers had regressed, but Ynet reported that talks between Gantz and Levy restarted after the event and would continue late into the night.

Bar-Shalom told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night that she was currently not speaking to any media outlets.

Gantz ended his address at his party’s event by inviting Lapid to meet with him Tuesday night and “not miss a historic opportunity” for a political upheaval.

Lapid responded: “As I said yesterday on the stage, we will leave no stone unturned, we will do everything to ensure we don’t miss a historic opportunity to replace the government.”

Gantz and Ya’alon are followed on their list by Histadrut Labor Federation chairman Avi Nissenkorn, former anchorwoman Miki Haimovich, former Netanyahu spokesman Yoaz Hendel, former Yeruham mayor Michael Biton, social activist Chili Tropper and former cabinet secretary Zvi Hauser.

The list includes a haredi candidate in Omer Yankelevich, a Druze woman in Gadeer Mreeh, an Ethiopian candidate in Gadi Yevarkan and a gay candidate in former Ra’anana mayor Eitan Ginzburg.

The Anglo candidates are Tropper, whose parents are from New York, North Carolina-born professor Alon Tal, who is 25th on the list, and Canadian-Israeli attorney Michal Cotler-Wunsh, who is 28th.

Meanwhile, Labor leader Avi Gabbay strengthened his Knesset slate by giving the second slot on his list to Gen. (res.) Tal Russo.

Russo served as OC Southern Command and head of the IDF Operations Directorate. He enlisted in the IDF in 1978 and served in the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret

Matkal) and as a commander of the Nahal Brigade.

Before enlisting, Gabbay negotiated with several generals who turned down a chance to run with his party, including Noam Tibon. He also was rejected by Beersheba mayor Rubik Danilovich. •