Netanyahu Urges Ben Gvir and Smotrich to Unite Ahead of Elections to Secure Right-Wing Bloc

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on right-wing ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to unite ahead of the upcoming elections. While this appears as a routine appeal to consolidate the right-wing bloc, the move reflects a deeper political strategy. Netanyahu is concerned not only about Smotrich’s party potentially failing to pass the electoral threshold but also about managing the balance of power within the right-wing camp after the elections.

Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party is polling near or below the threshold, risking the loss of votes that would not translate into Knesset seats. Netanyahu sees this as dangerous in a tight race where every seat counts for forming a governing coalition. Moreover, Smotrich is considered Netanyahu’s most reliable right-wing partner, unlike the more unpredictable ultra-Orthodox parties or Ben Gvir, who has been a challenging ally.

Ben Gvir himself has grown into a significant political force with a substantial voter base. If he runs independently and secures a double-digit number of seats, he could become a powerful coalition partner capable of making strong demands. A joint list with Smotrich would dilute Ben Gvir’s individual power, distributing seats and influence between them and limiting his leverage over Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s call for unity thus serves two purposes: electorally, to prevent vote wastage by small right-wing parties failing the threshold; politically, to shape the post-election power dynamics so that no single right-wing partner becomes too strong to challenge his leadership. Additionally, the emergence of Ofir Winter’s new party adds complexity, as it could siphon votes from existing right-wing factions.

In sum, Netanyahu is proactively trying to engineer the election outcome by encouraging a right-wing alliance that maximizes seats while preserving his dominant role in the coalition negotiations that will follow the vote.