Gottlieb Jumps from Likud to Ben Gvir's Party After Election Snub

Member of Knesset (MK) Tali Gottlieb has officially moved from the Likud party to "Otzma Yehudit," led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Likud party approved the transfer on Thursday, but Gottlieb will remain an MK for Likud until the upcoming elections. Ben-Gvir welcomed Gottlieb, calling her a "true fighter" joining the "Otzma Yehudit family."

Gottlieb's move follows a week of public criticism directed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. She accused Netanyahu of "stabbing her in the back" after she was not guaranteed a high position on the Likud's Knesset list, being relegated to the 20th spot. Gottlieb stated she sacrificed greatly for Likud and the right-wing government, and would not be "a rug to be stepped on."

She further alleged that Netanyahu's advisors targeted her in the primaries, where she initially secured the 12th position thanks to party members' votes, only to be pushed to 20th due to quotas. Gottlieb also criticized the Likud campaign for excluding women and for not addressing the fight against the "crazy Supreme Court" and the "rule of the bureaucracy."

Gottlieb had previously indicated she would consider offers from parties that respected her electoral strength and could offer her a significant ministerial role, but stated no such offer had materialized until her move to Otzma Yehudit.