Netanyahu's Bid to Sway Noam Party Fails Amidst Negotiations

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office made significant efforts to persuade the right-wing Noam Party to withdraw from the upcoming election, aiming to prevent a loss of votes within the right-wing bloc. Following a similar successful maneuver that led to the withdrawal of the Achi Party from Bet Shemesh, Attorney Lior Katzav, a close associate of Netanyahu, was tasked with leading the negotiations with Noam. Katzav, who was also involved in the Achi Party talks, engaged in discussions with Noam's chairman, MK Avi Maoz, and with figures associated with Rabbi Tzvi Tau, the party's spiritual leader and head of the Har HaMor Yeshiva.

The core of the negotiations revolved around Noam's demands in the education sector, issues the party had sought to advance during the previous government's term but claimed did not receive adequate attention. The Likud acknowledged these past unmet demands and proposed solutions, both political and legal, to address them. The talks reached a critical point on Friday with a scheduled meeting at Rabbi Tau's aide's home in Jerusalem. The meeting, set for 9:30 PM and intended to include Avi Maoz and Lior Katzav, was canceled by the Noam Party approximately 30 minutes prior.

Despite the cancellation, the Likud did not abandon the possibility of an agreement and continued to press Noam to withdraw from the race. Prime Minister Netanyahu himself spoke by phone with Rabbi Amiel Sternberg, head of Har HaMor Yeshiva, in a renewed attempt to advance the initiative. Concurrently, discussions also continued with Eliyahu Liebman, the second-ranked candidate on the Noam Party's list.

However, despite these extensive efforts, proposals, and the direct involvement of the Prime Minister, the attempts to convince the Noam Party to exit the election did not result in a change of their stance. The Noam Party remained in the electoral contest, and the objective of preventing vote wastage on the right was ultimately unsuccessful.