Negotiations between Benny Gantz’s Blue and White and Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists party broke down in summer 2026 over disagreements on Haredi conscription policy and coalition flexibility with ultra-Orthodox parties. The short-lived Zionist Home–The Reservists alliance dissolved in early September, after which Hendel partnered with Yaron Zelekha’s New Economic Party while Gantz rebuilt Blue and White independently. Both submitted separate electoral lists by the September 8 deadline ahead of the October 27 vote, confirming they will not appear together. Trader consensus at 99 percent “No” reflects these finalized slates and structural barriers to any last-minute merger under Israel’s closed-list proportional system. Late legal challenges to list validity or unforeseen court interventions remain the only narrow paths that could alter the outcome.