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Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog said that he would reach out to all of the Zionist political parties if President Reuven Rivlin asked him to form the next government.

Speaking to the Jerusalem Post, Herzog was asked who he would invite to join his coalition in the event that he was asked to form one after the election. He replied “Centrist parties should be the centre of the coalition, but I don’t rule out at all the Likud joining my government. I’ve said all Zionist parties can be part of my coalition, from Meretz to [Yisrael Beytenu], which compasses the Likud.”

When asked by a reporter if this meant he would offer a senior role to Likud leader current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Herzog replied that the situation wouldn’t arise because Likud would likely replace Mr Netanyahu if he failed to win the election.

Zionist Union has fallen slightly behind in the polls, with most surveys showing that Likud has edged ahead by drawing voters from the Jewish Home party. The Zionist Union’s campaign has been criticised by some as lacklustre and uninspiring, leading the party to make changes and replace some of the campaign managers.

The Joint Arab List launched its election campaign in Hebrew yesterday in Tel Aviv under the slogan “my answer to racism”, displayed on a poster underneath an example of racist anti-Arab graffiti. In an attempt to target Jewish voters, the launch featured Hadash leader Ayman Odeh who said “We deserve civil and national equality … We have heard a lot about social justice. We have been fighting for it for decades.”

According to a report on the +972 website, when a member of the audience asked the List leaders about their position on gay rights they all declined to comment.

The Joint Arab List is currently polling at 11-12 seats. At the launch event, the party leaders predicted they were on course for winning 15 seats.