Netanyahu Urges Ben-Gvir to Unite with Smotrich, Warns of Vote Splitting

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir to unite with Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich, expressing concern that a separate party led by Ofer Winter could siphon votes and harm the right-wing bloc. Netanyahu voiced these concerns during an interview on Channel 14's "HaPatriotim" program.

Netanyahu criticized Ben-Gvir's opposition to a union, stating, "He is raging, I don't understand why. When Smotrich was high and he was low, Ben-Gvir called on him to put ego aside and unite, and Smotrich did the responsible thing. Today Ben-Gvir needs to do the responsible thing." He added that there is still about a week left to reach agreements and that it might be possible to unite everyone.

The Prime Minister also addressed Ofer Winter's potential party, fearing its independent run could either "burn" votes or cause the downfall of one of the parties he mentioned. Netanyahu revealed he had previously met with Winter, presenting him with his options and warning of the current danger. "I told him, look Ofer, you can come to us or you can go a separate way. We are currently in danger," Netanyahu said, urging a discussion on how to prevent Winter's party from wasting votes.

Netanyahu claimed Winter's party would draw almost no votes from political rivals of the right-wing bloc, such as Avigdor Lieberman and Naftali Bennett. He directly appealed to Winter, saying, "I'm telling Winter: Let's meet, let's talk. Immediately. To prevent a situation where such a party brings down the bloc."