It should be specified that this is a reunification of the Mafdal and Tkuma. Tkuma had broken off from the Mafdal, as a more Torani splinter group. Tkuma has never run by itself in elections but always combined in a bloc with other small parties, including Yisrael Beitenu if you all remember.

In the last several months, Yaakov Katz has been working hard to run with the Mafdal. Recently, half (Eldad and Ben Ari) of the National Union broke off, leaving Tkuma by itself in the 'National Union'. Subsequently, Yaakov Katz asked that he be registered low on the Tkuma list, and has apparently left Tkuma entirely, leaving Uri Ariel in the 'National Union'. Uri Ariel went to the elections committee and trademarked the words National Union into the Tkuma party name -> Tkuma - National Union.

I think that continuing to use the brand National Union is misleading and even Arutz 7 has finally dropped using that term.

The Moledet party (originally Rehaveam Zeevi's secular party) was also part of the NU, but did not make it into the last Knesset. Jpost reported that the current head of the party, Uri Bank, has 'joined' with Tkuma's reunification with Mafdal allowing Tkuma to use the letter 'Tet' on the election ballots.

There is still two days left until we see if the new Mafdal will accept Eldad and Ben Ari into the party. Am Shalem is also a wild card that no one is really talking about. I would be very surprised, but it would strengthen your observation that the right is joining up while the left is breaking up.
Josh

thanks for the clarification. I had forgotten some of those details. interesting.

I am happy and sad. On the one hand, the unfication is a blessing, but on the other, it is not complete, with the Eldad/Ben Ari breakoff, Katzeleh feeling left out, and the Amshalem list, also another small party or two as well. For those that may or may not remember, in 1992, there were 4 right wing parties other than Likud, Mafdal, Techiya, Moledet, and Tzomet. They all ran seperately whilst the left were united, the result was Techiya was wiped out completely, and the left under Rabin had a one seat majority (less than the amount of votes for Techiya which were thrown to the thrash). The rest is history. It does not look like something similar will happen this time, as the left are disunited too, they don't have a front runner candidate to challenge Bibi. But one should be under no illusions, and if G-d forbid, the left win, they will not be to blame for implementing their policies but the right who were still not united.

Meir S, as a believer in Hashem, you would know that you cannot blame the losing party for losing. Enough about blaming the right and losing votes. People who come to vote for any reason and to any cause are legitimate. People who do not show up to the ballot are throwing their vote away.
Josh