Netanyahu and Smotrich Host "Saving the Right" Conference, Excluding Ben-Gvir
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich will host a conference called "Saving the Right" with rabbis and religious leaders to prepare for the 2026 elections and mobilize right-wing voters. Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and several prominent rabbis were not invited, with organizers citing the event's specific focus on Religious Zionism-affiliated activists. Meanwhile, efforts are being made to encourage the Noam party to withdraw from the elections to avoid splitting right-wing votes.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich will hold a "Saving the Right" conference for rabbis and religious leaders.
- The conference aims to prepare for the 2026 elections and mobilize right-wing voters.
- Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and several prominent rabbis were not invited to the event.
- Organizers state the guest list reflects the conference's focus on Religious Zionism activists.
- Efforts are underway to persuade the Noam party to withdraw from elections to consolidate right-wing votes.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich are set to hold a closed-door conference titled "Saving the Right" on Thursday at Jerusalem's Ramada Hotel. The event, aimed at preparing for the 2026 elections, will gather dozens of senior rabbis and heads of religious institutions to build a broad network of thousands of activists and encourage "tens of thousands" of right-wing voters to cast their ballots.
Notably absent from the guest list are Otzma Yehudit party chairman and Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, along with prominent Religious Zionism Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and Rabbi Dov Lior, the spiritual leader of Otzma Yehudit. Organizers, however, deny that Ben-Gvir's exclusion is a snub or an attempt to sideline him from a broader right-wing bloc. They assert that Netanyahu and Smotrich are in full cooperation, with their campaign leaders coordinating closely.
According to those involved in organizing the meeting, the reason for the specific guest list is the conference's focus. It is designed to mobilize activists and yeshiva students associated with Religious Zionism institutions to increase voter turnout for the right-wing bloc. Initially, Netanyahu had planned a solo meeting with the rabbis, but they requested Smotrich's inclusion.
In parallel, efforts are underway within the Religious Zionism sector to potentially unite further. A prominent yeshiva leader is working to arrange a meeting between Netanyahu and Rabbi Zvi Tau, the spiritual leader of the Noam party. The goal of this initiative is to persuade Noam to withdraw from the upcoming elections before voting day, thereby preventing potential right-wing votes from falling below the electoral threshold.
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