Lapid Hosts Opposition Leaders, Gantz Not Invited

Opposition leader Yair Lapid will host a meeting of Change Bloc leaders at his Tel Aviv home this Saturday night, Yesh Atid announced Tuesday. Expected attendees include Naftali Bennett, Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan.

According to the announcement, the gathering will focus on coordinating the bloc's moves ahead of anticipated elections. The meeting comes against the backdrop of recent polls showing a tight race between Likud and Eisenkot's 'Yashar!' party.

Notably absent from the invitation list is Benny Gantz, who was previously a partner in the Change Bloc. Gantz, who established the National Unity party after leaving the government, now finds himself outside the unified center-left bloc.

The meeting takes place during a politically sensitive period as the political system prepares for elections. Recent days have seen additional contacts between center-left parties, with Liberman and Bennett holding a joint meeting to discuss cooperative actions.

Meanwhile, Joint List chairman Ahmad Tibi recently revealed the Arab parties' joint plan to help replace Netanyahu's government. According to Tibi, the Arab parties will work together with Eisenkot's bloc immediately after the elections to replace the Knesset speaker, and will recommend the bloc's candidate to form the government.

Likud was quick to respond to Tibi's remarks, calling them a "media bombshell." "Ahmad Tibi exposes Eisenkot, Liberman and Yair Golan's plan to establish a left-wing government with the Arab parties," the Likud statement read.

Saturday night's meeting is expected to focus on how the Change Bloc parties can coordinate their actions and reach the number of mandates required to form an alternative government.