Likud Urges Ben-Gvir to End 'Bluff' Amid Election Day Push
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
On election day, the Likud party urged Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to stop a "bluff" and consolidate right-wing votes for Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. Likud fears that votes for smaller parties could prevent Netanyahu from forming a government. Ben-Gvir voted and encouraged right-wing turnout, warning of a potential "Mansour Abbas government" if the opposition wins. The outcome hinges on whether Likud's strategy succeeds in securing a majority coalition.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Likud urged Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to consolidate right-wing votes for the Likud party on election day.
- The Likud party fears that votes for smaller right-wing parties could prevent Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a government.
- Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voted and encouraged right-wing turnout, warning of a potential "Mansour Abbas government."
- Polls show a close race between political blocs, with voter turnout potentially being decisive.
- The final results will determine who can assemble the 61 Knesset members needed to form the next government.
On election day, the Likud party issued a dramatic message directly to Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, chairman of the Otzma Yehudit party, urging him to stop what it called a "bluff." The message stated that Ben-Gvir's party would pass the electoral threshold and join a strong right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, emphasizing continued cooperation for Israel. This appeal comes amid a heated election campaign where polls indicate a close race between political blocs.
The Likud's strategy aims to persuade right-wing voters that casting ballots for smaller parties could jeopardize Netanyahu's ability to form a government. The message specifically targeted Ben-Gvir's supporters, warning that if Gadi Eisenkot's party gained even one more seat than Likud, the president would task Eisenkot with forming the government, potentially leading to a "government of generational weeping."
Likud urged voters to cast their ballots for "MAHAL," the acronym for "Party for Freedom of Israel - Likud." This tactic, employed in previous elections, seeks to prevent a split in right-wing votes. Ben-Gvir himself voted in Kiryat Arba, calling on right-wing voters to participate and warning that the "other side" forming a government would mean a "Mansour Abbas government."
The tension between Likud and smaller right-wing parties is not new. Likud Minister Amihai Chikli also expressed concern about votes being lost in parties that might not pass the electoral threshold, citing the "Amcha Yisrael" party led by Ofer Winter as an example of potentially wasted votes.
Likud's appeal to Ben-Gvir reflects the party's fear that votes for smaller right-wing parties could determine the final outcome. While Ben-Gvir is confident his party will pass the threshold, Likud stresses the critical importance of every additional seat for Netanyahu to secure a governing coalition. Meanwhile, similar calls regarding voter turnout are being heard from the political left, with journalist Yara Shapira reporting that 80% of opposition supporters are certain to vote compared to 75% of coalition supporters.
Polling stations close at 10:00 PM, after which it will be clear whether Likud's messaging has swayed voters or if smaller right-wing parties will capture a significant share of the vote. The final results will determine not only party sizes but, crucially, who will be able to assemble the 61 Knesset members needed to form the next government.
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