Gottlieb Joins Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit Party Ahead of Elections

Member of Knesset Tali Gottlieb has officially joined Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit party, a move coordinated with the Likud party, following weeks of tension. Gottlieb will run in the upcoming elections as part of the Otzma Yehudit slate without being declared a defector from Likud. Ben-Gvir announced that Gottlieb will be placed second on the party's list, with Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf having relinquished the spot for her.

Ben-Gvir welcomed Gottlieb, calling her a "true warrior" and a "force multiplier" joining a "family of fighters" dedicated to justice and opposing the "deep state." He expressed pride and happiness in her joining the party. The move was legally facilitated by a legal opinion from Central Elections Committee Chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, who ruled that explicit consent from the original faction "greatly obscures the nature of the defection," allowing a Knesset member to move to another list without immediate resignation if coordinated.

The background to this development involves a prolonged dispute between Gottlieb and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Gottlieb had claimed that Netanyahu actively sought to sideline her from Likud campaigns and party activities, allegedly attempting to weaken her electoral standing by placing her in lower list positions despite strong support from party members. Ben-Gvir anticipates Gottlieb will bring two mandates to his party and has promised her a ministerial position in the next government.

While Ben-Gvir and Gottlieb presented a united front, the move drew sharp criticism from within Likud. MK Eliyahu Revivo publicly stated, "And about this it is said, blessed be He who has freed us from this one," implying relief at her departure. He also alluded to Ben-Gvir, stating, "Good luck to Ben-Gvir, the popcorn is already ready."