The Independent reports that a bloc of Arab parties has split ahead of Israel’s fifth elections in less than four years, a move that could dilute the minority’s political influence and aid former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s return to power

Reuters is also reporting on the deadline for party lists. Israeli political parties submitted their final lists of candidates on Thursday for an unprecedented fifth election in four years, which looks unlikely to break the deadlock between former premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his bitter rivals.

Reuters reports that Israel’s annual consumer price index (CPI) of inflation dipped to a 4.6% rate in August, the Central Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday, easing from a 14-year high of 5.2% in July and after aggressive Bank of Israel rate hikes in recent months.

Amos Harel in Haaretz writes that the Palestinian Authority is facing critical weeks. “Israel is without a doubt the stronger side when comparing its forces with those of the Palestinians. But the events in the coming weeks in the territories, which appear increasingly critical in the light of the November 1 Knesset election, will be largely influenced by what happens among the Palestinians themselves. In the background is the speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations next week, the vigorous incitement by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to encourage a broad eruption of violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the enfeebled status of the Palestinian Authority, which is wracked by corruption and stagnation and is displaying diminishing readiness to govern.”
Much of the Israeli media focuses on election developments, with each party having now delivered their final slates to the Central Elections Committee.

Haaretz reports that Balad will not run in the Joint List with the other two Arab parties, Hadash and Ta’al—the Arab Movement for Renewal. Balad Chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh said his faction had agreed to all of Hadash and Ta’al’s demands but they decided to run separately. MK Osama Saadi (Ta’al) said in contrast that one of the reasons was Ta’al and Hadash’s refusal of Balad’s demand to refrain from recommending to the president a candidate to form a government. A senior Likud official told Kan News that the right wing had no reason to celebrate. The split in the Arab parties is a trick that is meant to legitimize a Lapid-led government with the Joint List, he said. It won’t be surprising if Balad is disqualified in order to prevent votes from being lost, said the senior Likud official.

Yediot Ahronoth reports that the independent runs of Meretz and the Labour party means that “Yesh Atid Party Chairman Yair Lapid was the big loser in the “change bloc”. If one of the parties fails to cross the electoral threshold, Netanyahu will certainly have the 61 seats he needs to form a government. But Michaeli consistently refused to join forces.

Sima Kadmon in Yediot Ahronoth criticises Michaeli for locking the door on the possibility of a Labor-Meretz merger. “Even if Michaeli’s motives were right, and even if Lapid’s motivation for bringing about that merger was self-serving, her decision should be treated as a gamble. When every poll shows Netanyahu [and allied parties] getting between 59-61 seats, and when everyone understands what’s at stake, you don’t take any chances. And even if both parties clear the electoral threshold, that still won’t make Michaeli right. It was and remains a feckless gamble.”

Kadmon is also scathing towards Netanyahu and his promise to the Ultra-Orthodox to fund them regardless of whether they teach core subjects in school. “the big story this week was Netanyahu’s pledge to provide full funding for schoolchildren who do not study the core curriculum, just to keep United Torah Judaism from falling apart. By making that pledge, Netanyahu repudiated everything believes in. “My religion is the economy,” he used to say, and once he even told an Orthodox associate that for him, betraying his economic principles was like a religious Jew eating pork. This week Netanyahu betrayed his principles. The Belz Hasidim had agreed to teach the core curriculum in their schools. Netanyahu told them: I’ll give you all the money even if you don’t teach it. In other words: Haredim agreed to teach English and math, and they gave it up because Netanyahu pressured them…Netanyahu will sell out everything to the Haredim, including things that they once wouldn’t dare ask for. Everything is for sale. If it used to matter to Netanyahu what the public thought about these issues, nowadays he just doesn’t care. All he cares about is getting 61 seats, and let the country burn.

Israel Hayom published an interview Amichai Chikli, formerly a Yamina party rebel and brought into the Likud party by Netanyahu. Amongst other things, Chikli says that Supreme Court Justices should be chosen by members of the Knesset. He also expressed is opposition to the phenomenon of a rotating Prime Ministership as well as that of a leader of a small party becoming Prime Minister.

Kan Radio reports that Chilean President Gabriel Boric refused to accept the letter of credence from Israeli ambassador-designate Gil Artzyeli due to the IDF’s activity during Operation Breaking Down. Israeli officials confirmed the details. Chilean officials said that the presentation of the letter of credence has been postponed until next month.