Smotrich Prioritizes National Unity Over Personal Honor in Election Push
Translated & summarized from Makor Rishon by baba
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is adjusting his election campaign strategy to avoid past missteps, focusing on in-depth discussions and limiting media appearances. He is actively working to consolidate the right-wing vote, warning against wasted votes for new parties like Ofer Winter's. Smotrich also addresses the burden of military service, advocating for greater Haredi integration and criticizing their exemption. He expresses a willingness to compromise for a broad unity government and is focused on key issues like security and regional development.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Bezalel Smotrich is adopting a new campaign strategy, focusing on podcasts and avoiding past "unwise statements."
- Smotrich is working to prevent right-wing votes from being wasted, particularly targeting Ofer Winter's candidacy.
- He criticizes the exemption of the Haredi sector from military service, advocating for their integration.
- Smotrich expresses willingness to compromise for a broad national unity government after the elections.
- He is focused on tackling illegal weapons and strengthening the Negev and Galilee regions.
Finance Minister and Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich is adopting a more reserved campaign strategy, opting for podcasts over television and radio appearances to avoid past "unwise statements." He acknowledges his weakness in traditional campaigning, preferring longer, in-depth discussions. Smotrich reflects on past gaffes, like his "ride camels" remark regarding Saudi Arabia, clarifying that while he retracted the dismissive term, his core message about demanding respect from Saudi Arabia in exchange for aid remains. He believes Israel's eagerness for normalization has led to compromising national dignity.
Smotrich is actively working to prevent right-wing votes from being wasted, particularly targeting the candidacy of former Gaza Division commander Ofer Winter. He predicts Winter's new party will fail to pass the electoral threshold, potentially costing the right-wing bloc significant support, drawing parallels to past elections where vote-splitting led to negative outcomes. Smotrich is deploying activists and coordinating with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to maximize voter turnout for the bloc.
He also addresses the issue of ultra-Orthodox enlistment, expressing frustration that reservists bear a disproportionate burden while the Haredi sector is exempt. Smotrich advocates for incentivizing Haredi integration into the workforce and national service, criticizing past policies that fostered their autonomy. He asserts his influence with Netanyahu, particularly during the recent war, stems from his presence and moral standing, unlike the Haredi parties.
Regarding potential coalition partners, Smotrich expresses a willingness to compromise for a broader national unity government, emphasizing that yielding is not the same as compromising core values. He is also focused on tackling illegal weapons in the Arab community and strengthening the Negev and Galilee regions. Smotrich dismisses claims that Netanyahu promised Europeans a government without him, calling them "nonsense," and criticizes potential partners for attempting to poach votes from within the right-wing bloc.
Smotrich also comments on the political landscape, noting his cool, business-like relationship with Noam party leader Avi Maoz and his criticism of Itamar Ben-Gvir's strategy. He believes his influence on Netanyahu is significant, especially in contrast to the Haredi parties, and he is confident in his ability to shape policy, citing his past success in securing the Finance Ministry and influencing the Defense Ministry's settlement portfolio.
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