Netanyahu's Attempts to Unite Right-Wing Parties Fail as Key Figures Refuse Merger

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent efforts to pressure leaders of right-wing factions, notably Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, into merging their lists have been unsuccessful. Netanyahu reportedly used warnings of "Oslo," "Palestinian state," and "1992" against Winter, hoping to persuade him to join Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party. Offers of reserved spots in the Likud party for Winter and his second-in-command, Yosef Haddad, along with two other candidates on the Religious Zionism list, were also made but rejected.

Winter proceeded with his political campaign, submitting his party's list to the Central Elections Committee at the last minute, leaving little time for the Likud to campaign against him. This move effectively closed off avenues for negotiation. The article notes that many new politicians have joined various lists, including Gadi Eisenkot's 'Yisrael' party, and Netanyahu is expected to try and sway them with offers of positions and renewed threats.

Similarly, Ben-Gvir also resisted pressure to merge, quickly submitting his list and ignoring calls for unity. This leaves the structure of the right-wing bloc largely undecided, with the Likud and Religious Zionism holding key decisions. Ben-Gvir's refusal was reportedly influenced by his supporters, who threatened to withhold their votes if he joined forces with Smotrich, citing ethnic and class tensions rather than ideological differences.

The article also highlights other significant developments from the party registration period. For the first time, a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) party, 'HaTzibur HaHaredi,' led by Moti Leitner, has included a woman, Dr. Nehumi Yaffe, in its list, potentially sparking debate within the Haredi community. Additionally, in a historic move for Arab political parties in Israel, a candidate from the Hadash party, Jaafar Farah, was removed from the list following sexual harassment allegations from seven women, reflecting the growing impact of the #MeToo movement within the conservative Arab society.

Finally, the article points to the Ra'am party's inclusion of former MK Yoav Segalovitz, a security figure who does not speak Arabic, and the party's decision to hold its faction meetings in Hebrew as a positive sign of bridging the gap between the Arab minority and the Jewish majority in Israel.