Itamar Ben Gvir Faces Pressure Over Religious Zionism Merger Amid Netanyahu Talks

Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of Otzma Yehudit, is under internal and external pressure regarding a potential merger with the Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich. Despite Otzma Yehudit's official rejection of unification, sources close to Ben Gvir suggest some of his advisors believe he dismissed the option too quickly, especially after the entry of retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter into the political arena. Ben Gvir convened a meeting at his party headquarters in Lod to discuss the issue, including public pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to merge with Smotrich's faction.

Simultaneously, Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman is reportedly in advanced talks with Moshe Feiglin about a possible technical bloc alliance. Feiglin demands Smotrich to move down the list, while Netanyahu's pressure on Ben Gvir aims to lower Feiglin's demands and facilitate a more favorable agreement for Smotrich. The Likud party criticized Ben Gvir for his firm refusal to unite with Smotrich, accusing him of risking right-wing votes due to personal considerations.

Otzma Yehudit denied internal disagreements, calling the reports baseless and reaffirming their final decision not to unite with Religious Zionism. If both Ben Gvir and Winter maintain their refusal, Netanyahu may consider merging members of Religious Zionism into Likud, though the feasibility of this remains unclear. Netanyahu and Ben Gvir have met several times recently, with Ben Gvir presenting polling data suggesting he can attract right-wing voters from peripheral areas who do not support Smotrich. Netanyahu acknowledged this potential but continues to push for unity.

Ben Gvir insists that a merger with Smotrich would harm the right-wing bloc's electoral prospects, stating it would bring fewer votes than running separately. He declared he would not even meet or discuss the matter with Netanyahu or Smotrich. Otzma Yehudit called on Netanyahu to pursue other realistic options, such as uniting smaller right-wing factions or using Likud's reserved spots to support Smotrich, to ensure a right-wing victory and government formation in the upcoming elections.