Netanyahu Urges Smotrich and Ben Gvir to Unite Ahead of Election Deadline

Two weeks before the Knesset candidate list deadline, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Religious Zionist Party leaders Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir to reunite on a joint list. In a video message released on Thursday, Netanyahu stressed the importance of unity, saying, "They must unite. Every time we went united, we won. When we went divided, we lost." He recalled the 1992 election when the right-wing had more votes than the left but failed to pass the electoral threshold due to multiple parties, resulting in ongoing security challenges including the rise of Yasser Arafat and Hamas. Netanyahu warned that a similar scenario could happen again if they remain divided.

He acknowledged personal tensions between Smotrich and Ben Gvir but urged them to overcome these differences for the sake of the public and the right-wing bloc. Netanyahu also announced plans to invite both leaders for discussions in the coming days to make a "supreme effort" to unite their factions, emphasizing that this is what the public expects and deserves. The call comes amid heightened political pressure as parties finalize their candidate lists for the upcoming elections.