A bad day for the little guy: Where did Israel's small parties go?

One of the most notable aspects of the election exit polls is the conspicuous absence of small or new parties. This election was supposed to be their moment. What happened?

Amcha Israel, the Reservists, and the Charedi Public Party all failed to pass the threshold, according to all exit polls. i24NEWS analyst Gil Hoffman attributed this to the historic turnout.

Hoffman said that the high turnout likely drowned out smaller parties that rely on a small but dedicated voter base to make it to the polls, but when large numbers turn out to vote, that strategy fails.

This election, which was meant to herald a break from the traditional party system, instead seems to have reinforced it. The right rallied to Likud and not to the insurgent newcomers, and the Haredi duopoly remains unbroken.

The real upset was driven not by a change in the party system or the arrival of fresh ideas and new blood, but instead by Arab voters surging to the polls after experiencing nearly four years of right-wing government, during which the murder rate in the Arab community skyrocket.

Both Ra'am and the Joint List performed strongly. Ra'am proved that it is an independent political force not necessarily bound to the Joint List, while the List proved that it can energize its base and bring voters out when necessary, without changing its platform.

Amcha Israel, the Reservists, and the Charedi Public Party all attempted to peel away entrenched voters in hopes of changing the status quo. Instead, voters have opted to reinforce it.