Far-Right Activist Warns of Lost Right-Wing Votes, Cites Gaza Migration
Far-right activist Baruch Marzel has expressed concern that the Israeli right-wing bloc could lose significant support in upcoming elections due to disillusioned voters who may not turn out to vote. Marzel stated in an interview with Channel 7 that the primary challenge is not necessarily uniting existing right-wing parties, but rather re-engaging voters who feel unrepresented.
He believes there is a large segment of the public that does not identify with any current party and might abstain from voting, potentially costing the right-wing bloc five to ten Knesset seats. Marzel suggested that political factions should focus on attracting new voters rather than just consolidating existing support. He also commented on potential alliances, noting that while Prime Minister Netanyahu has tried to broker unity between Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, such pressure might not be necessary as both are expected to pass the electoral threshold. Instead, he advocated for broader coalitions that bring in fresh demographics, including disillusioned religious Zionists, soldiers, and other right-wing voters who have lost faith in current parties.
Marzel also criticized the current electoral threshold, arguing that if the right-wing bloc wants smaller parties like Noam or Identity to run without risking votes, the threshold should be lowered. He pointed out that no action has been taken to reduce it over the past four years, making it unfair to blame smaller parties for potentially splitting the vote.
Furthermore, Marzel identified the migration of Palestinians from Gaza as a major failure of the current right-wing government, arguing that a comprehensive governmental effort involving multiple ministries and intelligence agencies was not undertaken. He believes this issue should be a central coalition demand, potentially influencing the security landscape. Marzel concluded by stating his goal is to facilitate migration from Gaza and other areas where people wish to leave.