Likud Blames Ben Gvir for Arab Party Gains, But Stays Silent
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Senior Likud figures are privately blaming National Security Minister Ben Gvir for the unexpected strength of Arab parties in recent elections, suggesting his actions inadvertently boosted their support. However, the party is reluctant to criticize him publicly due to his role as a coalition partner and the contradiction it would create with the right-wing platform. This internal criticism is being kept quiet to avoid jeopardizing coalition talks and the formation of a right-wing government.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Likud officials privately blame Minister Ben Gvir for the rise of Arab parties in recent elections.
- Critics within Likud suggest Ben Gvir's focus on his own party's gains helped Arab parties.
- The party faces a dilemma in criticizing Ben Gvir publicly due to coalition ties.
- Public criticism of Ben Gvir would contradict the right-wing political agenda.
- Likud aims to keep these criticisms private to facilitate right-wing government formation.
Following recent elections, a surprising surge in support for Arab parties has led to internal recriminations within the Likud party. Senior Likud officials and prominent right-wing activists are privately attributing this rise to the actions of National Security Minister Ben Gvir during the past term. Some Likud members suggested that Ben Gvir's focus on achieving double-digit mandates for his own party inadvertently contributed to a similar outcome for Arab parties. Others expressed doubt about the overall effectiveness of his strategies.
Despite these private criticisms, Likud leaders are hesitant to publicly condemn Ben Gvir. They acknowledge the dilemma: Ben Gvir is a coalition partner, and openly criticizing his anti-Arab policies would contradict the right-wing platform. This creates a situation where Likud can privately blame Ben Gvir for potentially unifying the Arab vote against him, but cannot voice this criticism publicly without appearing to distance themselves from the broader right-wing agenda or jeopardizing coalition negotiations.
Sources within Likud indicate that while Ben Gvir's campaign tactics are being discussed internally, the party prefers to keep these criticisms private to avoid unnecessary conflict and facilitate the formation of a right-wing government. The challenge for Likud is to explain how policies aimed against Arab citizens might have, according to their critics, inadvertently strengthened them, without admitting potential missteps in their own campaign strategies or assigning direct blame publicly.
