Netanyahu and Smotrich Plan Election Alliances Excluding Ben-Gvir
Translated & summarized from Al-Shams by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly organizing right-wing election alliances without Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was not invited to a key planning conference. This follows a public disagreement where Netanyahu pushed for a merger of Ben-Gvir's and Smotrich's parties, a move Ben-Gvir rejected. Smotrich supported unity, while Ben-Gvir accused Netanyahu of trying to weaken his party. The situation leaves Ben-Gvir with limited options for electoral pacts.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Netanyahu and Smotrich are planning election alliances excluding National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
- Ben-Gvir's party was unaware of a key planning conference for the upcoming elections.
- The move follows a public dispute between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir over party mergers.
- Smotrich supports unity within the right-wing bloc, while Ben-Gvir rejected a merger proposal.
- Ben-Gvir faces limited options for electoral pacts ahead of the elections.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are reportedly moving forward with plans for right-wing election alliances, notably excluding National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. A conference is scheduled to take place in Jerusalem to discuss election preparations, task distribution, and strategies to increase voter turnout within the right-wing bloc. Sources within Ben-Gvir's party, Otzma Yehudit, stated he was unaware of the conference until the news broke, indicating a potential sidelining of his party from these strategic discussions.
This development follows a public dispute between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir regarding the prime minister's call for Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism to unite for the upcoming elections. In late August, Netanyahu urged Ben-Gvir and Smotrich to merge, warning against the "waste" of right-wing votes and emphasizing the necessity of unity for the bloc's strength. Ben-Gvir vehemently rejected the proposal, declaring his party would not run with Religious Zionism and accusing Netanyahu of attempting to weaken Otzma Yehudit to form a broader government.
Smotrich, however, expressed support for unity, calling for "unity and responsibility" within the right-wing camp. The article notes that Ben-Gvir and Smotrich ran as a technical alliance in the 2022 elections before splitting into independent parties. The upcoming elections have reignited their disagreements, particularly as smaller parties seek surplus vote agreements to avoid losing votes below the electoral threshold.
Ben-Gvir now faces limited options for surplus vote agreements, potentially including an alliance with Ofer Winter's "Am Israel" party or running without any agreement. Israeli reports suggest that a Likud-Religious Zionism agreement has already reshaped the right-wing alliance landscape ahead of the elections.
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