Netanyahu and Smotrich Unite Forces Ahead of Elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are scheduled to hold joint events in Jerusalem on Thursday, in preparation for upcoming elections. One event will be a closed-door conference titled "Saving the Right," attended by dozens of senior rabbis, heads of institutions, and community rabbis. The conference aims to mobilize thousands of activists to encourage a large turnout of right-wing voters.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the Likud and Religious Zionism parties to increase voter participation on the right. Campaign managers Zvika Brot and Omer Rachamim are leading the effort, with Yisrael Gantz coordinating the campaign headquarters for the parties. While Itamar Ben-Gvir was not invited to this specific event, sources emphasize full cooperation between Netanyahu and Smotrich, with campaign managers maintaining open communication.

Sources explain Ben-Gvir's absence is due to the nature of the conference, which focuses on ground operations primarily involving activists and students from the Religious Zionism movement, rather than any deliberate exclusion. However, sources within Otzma Yehudit view the event as a worrying sign of Ben-Gvir's diminishing political standing for the next term.

Otzma Yehudit points to several instances of perceived distancing by the Likud and Netanyahu from Ben-Gvir, including a surplus agreement signed between Likud and Religious Zionism, Netanyahu's absence from joint events with Ben-Gvir, and reports that the Prime Minister's office assured foreign entities that Ben-Gvir would not be part of the next government. Otzma Yehudit also notes that senior figures from the National Unity party, such as former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot and Yoram Cohen, have stated they would not rule out sitting in a government with Likud or Smotrich, but would exclude Ben-Gvir.