Everything you own in a box to the left: 6 things to know for July 25

1. But first, let’s [have you] take [a picture of us taking] a selfie: Cracks about the manner in which Israel Democratic Party head Ehud Barak, Meretz chairman Nitzan Horowitz and no-longer Labor MK Stav Shaffir chose to announce their merger aside, the formation of the Democratic Camp has everyone talking about the Israeli left for the first time in a long time.

• Proving that he meant it when he vowed to put his ego aside, former prime minister Ehud Barak will be given just the tenth spot on the list, which many analysts point out would allow him to bow out of politics smoothly if this move doesn’t pan out.
• A source in Barak’s party tells The Times of Israel that the former PM will still be guaranteed a ministerial post, while Channel 12’s Amit Segal says the former PM had given up on the demand as negotiations crescendoed.
• Horowitz will keep his title as chairman, while the merger’s architect Shaffir will be given the No. 2  slot. Most of the remaining 10 places on the list will go to Meretz lawmakers and at least one spot will be reserved for any other Labor MK inclined to bolt the party Stav-style.
• As for what the party will stand for, Army Radio’s Yanir Cozin reports that the merger agreement includes at the top of its list a dedication to reaching a peace deal with the Palestinians, followed by the cancellation of the Jewish nation-state law, reducing socioeconomic gaps, and of course, “not joining a right-wing government.”

2. Everyone’s a winner at Democratic Camp! The merger quickly received wide acclaim from reporters, political analysts and politicians.

• The joint run will avert a situation in which voters on the left would be forced to choose between Labor, Meretz and Barak, potentially leaving one of the three below the Knesset threshold and wasting thousands of votes.
• But Channel 12’s Segal points out that Horowitz won a little more than others: “The list is headed by him, Meretz’s letters will be the ones on the ballot slip, strong spots for his faction members and the additions of Shaffir and Barak’s No. 2 Yair Golan, who would not have joined Meretz in any other way.”
• And then there’s Shaffir, who the Democratic Camp’s first statement credited with being a major unifying force in bringing the merger about. Zman Yisrael’s Biranit Goren goes as far as to say that the MK “placed herself among the first row of politicians in the history of Israeli politics.”

3. Everything’s FINE! Not as thrilled are the remaining Labor MKs, though it’s not immediately clear whether that is related to the fact that Shaffir managed to do what they could not.

• The not at all bitter No. 3 Labor MK Itzik Shmuli tells Army Radio that he too “worked to ensure mergers” but didn’t go blabbing about it to the media. While he criticizes Shaffir’s move, he refuses to vow that he too won’t bolt the party if it fails to team up with another faction by next week’s deadline for submitting slates.
• Another Labor candidate, Merav Michaeli, praises the merger while similarly bashing Shaffir’s part in it. “There’s no political act less seemly than losing a leadership election and then leaving that very party.” (Current Labor chairman Amir Peretz lost a leadership battle in 2013 and bolted to join Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua party… But potato potahto.)
• Speaking of Peretz, he now faces a choice of being dragged into the new merger as many in the Democratic Camp are hoping, or digging in with new deputy Orly Levy-Abekasis on the narrow constituency of socioeconomic-minded voters who are still feeling party-less.
• In a party statement responding to the merger, Labor welcomes the news, but decalres it’s not interested in following suit. But Channel 13 reports that a number of officials in the faction have sent out feelers to Meretz officials to assure them that the door is not shut.
• Extrapolating from a quote by Levy-Abekasis earlier this month in which she said that she had ruled out Barak after he decided to give a second chance to sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein, Channel 12’s Amit Segal concludes that any Labor merger with the Democratic Camp will have to be without the Gesher chairwoman.
• Zman’s Goren writes that if Labor chooses to run on its own, it “must differentiate its party in a decisive manner from Blue and White and from the Democratic Camp and enter the vacuum left by Moshe Kahlon’s [socioeconomic-minded] Kulanu party.

4.  Hot takes! Get your hot takes! As for snap political analysis following the early morning merger, there was no shortage.

• “Poor Blue and White. Now they’ll really have to fight for right-wing votes,” mocked Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer, referencing Benny Gantz’s party’s campaign strategy from the last election, which did not appear to have succeeded, given that most of its seats came at the expense of Labor and Meretz in April.
• Kan’s Michael Shemesh adds that Blue and White is at risk of sustaining a considerable political blow. “During the last election, they enjoyed the support of many “anti-Bibi” votes which came from the ideological left. This time, those voters will have a genuine alternative.”
• Haaretz’s Pfeffer adds that behind the smiles in their celebratory selfie there’s much desperation felt in the Democratic Camp. “None of them wanted to be in this situation where they had no choice but to join forces. For Meretz it’s survival. For Barak a final hurrah. For Shaffir temporary respite before rebuilding Labor. Unity as a temporary necessity.”
• Political strategist Eyal Arad has high praise for Shaffir as well as new New Right chairwoman Ayelet Shaked. “Two determined young women… who changed the face of politics against veteran foxes. All of this done quietly, with determination and without the usual filth, power and ego games. Mediation instead of conflict – feminine power.”

5. Merger or bust: Alliances appear to be the theme of this election season, as parties across the aisle are seeking to replicate what the Democratic Camp managed to pull off this morning.

• Shaked holds a press conference in Tel Aviv where she declared that “the public will not forgive those who prevent unity on the right.” The New Right chair says she’s forgoing her demand of equal representation for her party and the Union of Right Wing Parties in a joint list that she hopes to lead.
• While Netanyahu is also keen to see a merger to the right of him, he is once again hoping that such an alliance would be between the Jewish Home and National Union parties with the far-right Otzma Yehudit. Walla reports that the premier promised Rafi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich each a ministerial post in his government if they agree like good soldiers to once again bring the gang of Meir Kahane disciples onto their list. The prime minister is reportedly concerned that a New Right-URWP partnership could cause considerable electoral damage to Likud.
• The Arab Israeli parties of Ra’am, Balad, Hadash and Ta’al are also working to put aside their differences for another joint run 2015-style. Ta’al head Ahmad Tibi tells Army Radio that the factions are close to an agreement to run on a joint list.

6. And a sexist morning to you too! Yedioth Ahronoth’s features its interview with Shaked above the fold of its front page with the headline, “We’ll recommend Netanyahu [for prime minister] only on the condition that he’ll form a right wing government.”

• But Netanyahu’s spokesman Jonathan Urich focuses on the picture of Shaked that accompanies the headline, tweeting, “I received my issue of the Blazer early this week.”
• Blazer is an Israeli male magazine inspired by the raunchy American Maxim and Esquire publications. Apparently the fact that Shaked’s hair is blowing in the wind on the Yedioth cover is enough for Urich to make the association.
• Responding to the crack from Netanyahu’s spokesman, Shaked tells reporters, “I want to point out that this is the first time in Israel’s history that a woman is heading a right-wing party. Apparently [Urich] finds it hard to get used to it.”

קיבלתי את בלייזר מוקדם השבוע pic.twitter.com/5c0kMYHbRl

— יונתן אוריך (@jonatanu) July 25, 2019