National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir has ruled out running again on a joint list with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. In an interview with journalist Dikla Aharon Shafran, Ben Gvir said a political merger at this stage would have the opposite effect of what the right wing wants, because, in his view, “the connection between us and Smotrich will only weaken the bloc.”
Ben Gvir said he is not looking for compromises, safe spots on another party’s slate, or technical electoral arrangements. “I do not want reservations and I do not want anything,” he said, stressing his confidence in Otzma Yehudit as an independent force. He added that, in the current election, “Otzma Yehudit in this format can be the second largest party, certainly on the right.”
He framed that strategy as the path to a stable nationalist government, arguing that only a stronger independent Otzma Yehudit can help deliver what he called a full right-wing government. Ben Gvir said the campaign message will be built around that idea: “A bigger Otzma Yehudit means a full right-wing government.”