Netanyahu's Efforts to Sway Small Parties Fail Ahead of Knesset Elections

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attempts to persuade the "Amcha Israel" and "Haredi Public" parties to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections have failed. The leaders of both parties, Ofer Vinter and Moti Litner, have insisted on continuing their campaigns despite significant pressure from Netanyahu and his allies.

Netanyahu intensified his efforts in recent days to encourage smaller parties aligned with the right-wing bloc to withdraw. This is driven by concerns that some parties may not pass the electoral threshold of 3.25%, potentially wasting votes and diminishing the bloc's chances of securing a parliamentary majority to form the next government.

Netanyahu held direct talks and meetings with Moti Litner, leader of the "Haredi Public" party, attempting to convince him to pull out. Reports indicate that Netanyahu's associates offered to discuss the party's political demands as an incentive. However, Litner maintained his position, citing no moral justification for withdrawal and criticizing the Likud and traditional Haredi parties for failing to reach understandings before the candidate lists were finalized. The "Haredi Public" party's platform includes issues such as agreed-upon arrangements for Haredi military conscription, curriculum reviews, funding for religious seminaries, and promoting Haredi integration into the workforce.

Concurrently, Netanyahu exerted pressure on Ofer Vinter, head of "Amcha Israel," enlisting Rabbi Eliyahu Sadan, head of the preparatory military institute in the Eli settlement, to persuade him to withdraw. Netanyahu also publicly urged Vinter to step down, warning that his party's continued participation could siphon votes from the right-wing camp. Vinter, however, remains committed to competing, asserting his party will continue until the end, despite polls showing them below the electoral threshold.

Reports suggest that Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich offered Vinter a ministerial position in the Defense Ministry in exchange for his withdrawal, but this also proved unsuccessful. These maneuvers come less than a week before the elections, amidst a tight race for right-wing and Haredi votes. Netanyahu has invoked the 1992 elections, where right-wing and religious lists failed to pass the threshold, as a cautionary tale to encourage smaller parties to withdraw. Despite these efforts, the two parties' determination to compete remains a factor in the political calculations leading up to the vote.