Likud MK Slams MK Gottlieb Over Potential Move to Otzma Yehudit Party

Member of Knesset Eliyahu Revivo of the Likud party sharply criticized fellow MK Tali Gottlieb on Thursday, reacting to reports of her potential move to the Otzma Yehudit party led by Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Revivo expressed his relief at the prospect, stating, "Blessed be He who has freed us from this burden," and wished Ben-Gvir success, adding, "The popcorn is ready."

Revivo's comments followed a legal opinion from the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg. This opinion could remove a significant legal obstacle to Gottlieb's move from Likud to Otzma Yehudit. While the opinion was issued in the case of MK Eitan Ginsburg, its implications may extend to situations where a Knesset member seeks to run in the next elections under a different list, with the consent of their original faction.

The core issue addressed by Sohlberg was whether a Knesset member seeking to run on a rival faction's list is considered to have resigned from their own faction, and what their status would be if the move occurs with the agreement of the party from which they were elected. Sohlberg opined that such a move has "the character of a resignation from a faction," but crucially determined that explicit consent from the original faction alters the legal picture. He stated that consent "greatly blurs the nature of the resignation, to the point of determining that in practice MK Ginsburg did not really resign from his faction."

Therefore, according to the opinion, the Knesset member would not need to resign their seat to run on another party's list represented in the outgoing Knesset. The decision was partly influenced by a shift in the Likud party's stance, which announced during the proceedings that it was withdrawing its original objections to the move, reasoning that when there is an agreement between a Knesset member and their faction, there is no need for intervention.

For Ben-Gvir, this development is significant as he finalizes his party's list. Otzma Yehudit's leader has been working to recruit Gottlieb, who was placed in the 20th position on the Likud list following the allocation of reserved spots. Gottlieb had previously criticized individuals close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging attempts to undermine her political standing. The move now hinges on the completion of political agreements between the parties. If negotiations conclude successfully and Likud grants its consent, Gottlieb could join the Otzma Yehudit list without needing to resign from the Knesset before the elections.