Surprise announcement by head of erstwhile Joint List catches some colleagues off guard, as MK said looking to make room for new blood -- or possibly run for Haifa mayor

Top Arab politician calls for ouster of Shabtai, who accuses Ben Gvir of leaking contents of phone call amid feud over establishment of national guard

After Aida Touma-Sliman lauds 'resistance,' Gantz says her position shows Hadash-Ta'al not a partner; opposition MKs accuse Lapid of hoping to form coalition with terror backers

Arabic news site survey sees turnout rising from 38% to 40.5% since breakup, but estimates it would have to reach 52% for Balad to make it into the Knesset

Abou Shehadeh's party dismisses 'attempt to silence'; Netanyahu-led bloc seen as unlikely to back the move, preferring Balad have a chance to fall below electoral threshold

There are still more than six weeks to go until election day, but the splintering of the Joint List may prove decisive

'We have no idea who spread this nonsense,' Lapid's party says after Balad chief accused PM of orchestrating Arab-majority alliance's split

Two surveys show Likud-led bloc with 60 seats; Balad, which split from Hadash and Ta'al, failing to make it into Knesset while other Arab parties teeter on edge of threshold

While ex-PM united key factions of his bloc to minimize risk of wasted votes, caretaker PM failed to do likewise for those opposed to Netanyahu. Then came a Joint List hammer blow

Drama over rotation deal splinters party into Hadash-Ta'al and Balad, in move that could help Netanyahu back to power; Labor and Meretz finalize independent runs, rebuffing Lapid