Tally Gottlieb Officially Joins Otzma Yehudit Party

Member of Knesset Tally Gottlieb has officially joined the Otzma Yehudit party, as announced by party leader and Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Friday. Ben-Gvir stated that Gottlieb will be placed second on the party's list for the upcoming elections, following a proposal by Minister Yitzhak Wasserlauf to move from the second to the third position. The Likud party had announced an agreement with Gottlieb the previous day, confirming her candidacy within the Otzma Yehudit faction. Under this agreement, Gottlieb will adhere to Likud's factional discipline in votes until the 26th Knesset and will not be declared a defector.

Otzma Yehudit had indicated earlier in the week that a "realistic spot" was expected for Gottlieb within the party. Gottlieb had previously expressed in a radio interview that she would seriously consider a "concrete, good offer" from Otzma Yehudit. She noted her obligation to her voters to consider proposals that would utilize her abilities, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not obligated to appoint her to a ministerial position.

Gottlieb claimed she was a victim of "targeted elimination" within Likud after the Prime Minister's reserved slots pushed her down to the 20th position on the party's list. She had appealed to Netanyahu to restore her to the 12th position, her ranking before the reserved slots were applied. The article also briefly mentions Netanyahu's primary victory and the approval of immunity for Gottlieb, alongside a petition to the High Court by a Shin Bet operative whose identity was revealed.