Ben-Gvir Ultimatum to Likud Over MK Gottlieb's Party Switch

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued an ultimatum to the Likud party on Wednesday, stating that if they do not facilitate MK Tali Gottlieb's move to his Otzma Yehudit party by the end of the day, it will be too late. Ben-Gvir urged Likud to complete the necessary procedures immediately, warning that "the window of opportunity is closing for me" if they continue with "empty briefings to the media."

Ben-Gvir intends to begin notifying Otzma Yehudit candidates of their placements on the Knesset list today. Once this process begins, he indicated, it will be impossible to reverse, making Gottlieb's transfer unfeasible. This move comes after Likud reportedly failed to take any concrete steps to advance the legal and technical aspects of Gottlieb's potential party switch, despite media reports suggesting otherwise.

Sources within Otzma Yehudit believe Likud is delaying to negotiate for additional concessions. However, they also note that the proposed deal is already highly speculative, with significant opposition within Otzma Yehudit itself. The ongoing delay by Likud, they argue, is effectively killing the possibility of Gottlieb joining their party.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Gottlieb's potential move, some in Otzma Yehudit believe the tension between her and Likud will ultimately benefit their party at the ballot box, regardless of whether she officially joins them.