Netanyahu Pushes Smotrich-Ben Gvir Merger in Exchange for Likud Entrenchments

Netanyahu is promoting a merger between Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, in exchange for reserved spots on the Likud list. The prime minister fears losing coalition votes if Smotrich fails to clear the electoral threshold, and has offered reserved positions in Likud to members of Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionism party, so they could enter the next Knesset on the bloc’s leading party list.

The coalition is preparing for elections, and the main challenge at present appears to be Bezalel Smotrich, who is by no means certain to pass the threshold. Netanyahu’s proposal is a merger between Ben Gvir and Smotrich, in exchange for reserved spots for their people in Likud.

Netanyahu fears that if Smotrich does not pass the threshold, coalition votes will be wasted, which could cost him in the election. The prime minister has offered two reserved spots to Ben Gvir and Smotrich, partly at the expense of reserved spots for Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, whose party colleague Ze’ev Elkin would be forced to compete.

The proposal comes against the background of the fact that neither Ben Gvir nor Smotrich wants to join forces. Ben Gvir knows he can win 8 to 10 seats on his own, and Smotrich does not want to because he would be in second place. Netanyahu is nevertheless proposing that they join together, saying the merger would be purely technical and that they could split after the election. In return, each would receive a reserved spot in Likud, and one of their people would be on the list of the bloc’s strongest party in the next Knesset.