Tali Gottlieb Moves to Otzma Yehudit Party from Likud

The Likud party announced Thursday that it has agreed to allow Knesset Member Tali Gottlieb to run for the upcoming Knesset elections on the Otzma Yehudit slate. The parties have finalized an agreement wherein Gottlieb will be bound by Likud's factional discipline until the 26th Knesset. Likud stated they wish Gottlieb success in her new endeavor.

This development follows significant progress in negotiations between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir earlier in the day. Analysts view the move as mutually beneficial for both parties.

Earlier in the week, Ben-Gvir had indicated that he would begin announcing candidate placements for the Otzma Yehudit list on Wednesday, after which such arrangements could not be reversed. He urged the Likud to finalize the transfer of Gottlieb, stating that the window of opportunity was closing.

Otzma Yehudit believes the public tension between Gottlieb and Likud will benefit them electorally, potentially attracting voters who identify with her criticisms of the Prime Minister and his associates. Gottlieb had previously expressed disappointment with her 12th-place ranking in the Likud primaries, which she attributed to pressure from Netanyahu's circle. She had written on social media that she felt sidelined by the Likud campaign and that her efforts to curb the power of the Supreme Court were being ignored. Gottlieb also stated that Netanyahu did not intend for her to serve as Justice Minister or chair the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, and was pushing her to a less prominent position. She had previously threatened to consider leaving Likud if she did not receive a protected spot in the primaries, an ultimatum Likud reportedly rejected.