Otzma Yehudit Party Places Knesset Member Tali Gottlieb Second on Election List

Knesset Member Tali Gottlieb will be placed second on the Otzma Yehudit party's list for the upcoming Knesset elections, following an agreement brokered between the Likud party and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir. The announcement came after Gottlieb, who was elected 12th in the Likud primaries, faced a potential demotion to 20th place on the Likud list due to reserved slots. This move allows her to run in a significantly higher position on the Otzma Yehudit slate.

Ben-Gvir stated that Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf agreed to relinquish the second spot on the list to accommodate Gottlieb. The Likud party had previously announced that Gottlieb would be permitted to run with Otzma Yehudit and would not be declared a defector, provided she adheres to Likud's factional discipline in votes until the 26th Knesset. This arrangement follows public statements by Gottlieb expressing frustration with Likud leadership, whom she accused of attempting to sideline her despite her loyalty and strong right-wing stance, which she believes resonated with Likud voters.

Gottlieb had publicly voiced her commitment to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party, while simultaneously criticizing his advisors for allegedly orchestrating a campaign to push her out of a prominent position. She suggested that these advisors were misinterpreting the right-wing electorate and pushing for a broader government that would not sufficiently curb the power of the judiciary. She had previously indicated she would consider offers from other parties if they respected her electoral strength and offered a significant ministerial role, but no such offer had materialized until this agreement with Otzma Yehudit.