With just 50 days left until the elections and the final deadline for the parties' lists coming up at the end of this week, the left-wing Haaretz newspaper has published another editorial pressuring Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli, who heads the Labor party, to run together with Meretz in the upcoming elections.
Thus far, Michaeli has rebuffed all offers and efforts on the matter, claiming that a joint run would reduce both parties' strength, harming the center-left bloc. She also said that there has been no new information which would justify merging the parties.
According to Haaretz, Meretz chief Zehava Galon understands that the current situation demands a merger "in order to prevent the formation of an extremist government by [former Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Otzma Yehudit chairman MK] Itamar Ben-Gvir. ... In order to merge with Labor, Galon is even prepared to give Michaeli the leadership of such a list."
The editorial emphasizes that it is not clear from where Michaeli is drawing the certainty behind her refusal to merge with Meretz.
"She is convinced that this is a sure bet, and ignoring the possibility that one of the two parties - or worse than that, both of them - will not pass the electoral threshold. Is Michaeli ready to take this dangerous gamble?" the paper questions.
"This is a gamble on the future of the State of Israel. Michaeli, in her refusal, is risking abandoning the country to the hands of a coalition of extremists, headed by the pair of pyromaniacs Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir. She must show responsibility and unite with Meretz."
Meanwhile, Israeli interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid is pushing the two parties to unite, and even offered each of them one reserved spot in Yesh Atid. He has also offered to ensure both parties receive ministries after the elections, as if they had each received ten Knesset seats.