Voters expect the incoming Netanyahu government to clean up the mess that Lapid and his colleagues are leaving behind, and to push Israel forward. The only way for Netanyahu and his partners to meet these expectations is by making far-reaching reforms to the legal system.
The impetus for the merger had zero to do with Zionist ideals; it was a Hail Mary maneuver on the part of Shaked and Hendel not to have to kiss the Knesset goodbye.
As tensions persist in Jerusalem, Israeli Arabs feel that Israeli Jews do not fully grasp the importance of Al-Aqsa to them both religiously and identity-wise.