Likud Lawmaker Tali Gottlieb May Defect to Otzma Yehudit

Tensions between Likud lawmaker Tali Gottlieb and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are escalating, with a real possibility that Gottlieb will leave the Likud party to join Otzma Yehudit, according to a report by "Ha'midraza Ha'merkazit." A senior Likud source stated that Gottlieb has "crossed all red lines." Netanyahu is reportedly prepared to allow her to move to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's party without officially declaring her a "defector."

Ben-Gvir is awaiting Netanyahu's final decision and is said to be reserving a spot for Gottlieb within the top four positions on the Otzma Yehudit slate. This friction arises from the recent Likud primaries, where Gottlieb secured 12th place, significantly lower than her expectations. Due to internal party reservation mechanisms, her effective position on the list dropped to 20th.

Gottlieb has previously accused Netanyahu of following his advisors' counsel to "eliminate" her in the primaries. She stated that despite facing a "David versus Goliath" battle and relying on the trust of right-wing Likud members, she achieved 12th place, but reservations pushed her to 20th. She also claimed Netanyahu's campaign sidelined her and that his advisors are focused on a "new branding" for Likud, neglecting crucial issues like restraining the power of the High Court of Justice.

In a recent post on X, Gottlieb asserted that Netanyahu owes her nothing and her loyalty is unwavering. She accused Netanyahu and his advisors of trying to remove her from Likud against the voters' will. She also indicated that if she receives a concrete offer from Otzma Yehudit, she would consider it, otherwise she might have to resign from the Knesset. Earlier this week, she praised Otzma Yehudit as an "excellent party" and stated she would seriously consider an offer.

Likud has previously dismissed Gottlieb's claims as "baseless and false," asserting that "the voters' decision in the primaries was clear, the problem is for those who are not willing to accept it."