Netanyahu Party in Uproar as Far-Right Refuses Pleas to Unite
Netanyahu says a joint run could prevent right-wing votes from being lost below the electoral threshold, while Ben-Gvir says a merger would cost 3-4 seats.
- On Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to form a joint electoral alliance in a video posted to social media, warning that separate runs could jeopardize the right-wing bloc's success.
- Netanyahu cited the 1992 election as a cautionary tale, noting that division among right-wing parties allowed the Left to win despite the Right having more total votes, leading to the Oslo Accords and regional instability.
- Ben-Gvir rejected the merger, arguing it would cost the Right 3–4 seats by discouraging voter turnout, and accused Netanyahu of seeking a weaker Otzma Yehudit to form a broad government with Gadi Eisenkot.
- Writing on Twitter, Smotrich agreed with the Prime Minister, asserting "the time for unity and responsibility is now," while Netanyahu replied to Ben-Gvir, "Ben-Gvir, don't bring down the Right. I did not understand your video."
- Ofer Winter recently entered politics with his Amcha Yisrael party; Winter stated his party belongs to the right-wing bloc and would support only Netanyahu for prime minister, potentially complicating the electoral math for the Right.
19 Articles
19 Articles
The Likud, right-wing party of Benyamin Netanyahu, rejected on Friday one of the far-right members of the alliance strategy for the upcoming legislative elections, worried that a division of votes would cause the coalition to fail.
Radio France Internationale
Netanyahu party in uproar as far-right refuses pleas to unite
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who recently drew international condemnation for saying Israel should kill "30 to 40" Palestinians nightly in Gaza, has rejected Netanyahu's pleas to join forces with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. "What does Ben Gvir want? A broad national government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu... or because of personal considerations, to burn right-wing votes in order to put a left-wing government in power?" …
Netanyahu poses merger on the right as Ben-Gvir concerned about weakening Otzma Yehudit
On Wednesday, Winter said his party belongs to the right-wing bloc and would support only Netanyahu as prime minister. By Vered Weiss, World Israel News Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would personally try to unite Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir ahead of Israel’s elections, prompting Ben-Gvir to accuse him of seeking to weaken Otzma Yehudit and reveal what he described as their private discussions over right-wing electo…
"They must unite. Every time we left together, we won; when we left divided, we lost."
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