Itamar Ben Gvir Invites Tali Gottlieb to Join Otzma Yehudit Amid Denials from Likud

Itamar Ben Gvir, a member of the Otzma Yehudit party, reportedly invited Tali Gottlieb, a Likud Knesset member, to join his party ahead of the upcoming elections. This was reported on Monday evening by i24 News. Ben Gvir approached Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also the Likud leader, suggesting that Netanyahu "give up" on Gottlieb. Netanyahu denied involvement in such discussions.

An insider explained that Ben Gvir's motivation was to bring Bezalel Smotrich into his party, aiming to strengthen opposition to the judicial system. In response, Gottlieb affirmed her commitment to Likud, describing herself as "the most right-wing in Likud" and expressing her intention to bolster the party. She also wished success to Otzma Yehudit.

Likud officially denied that any such proposal had ever been made. Ben Gvir praised Gottlieb, stating she is highly regarded and that he encouraged Likud members to support her in the primaries. He dismissed attempts to undermine her, emphasizing she deserves the backing she receives.

The report comes amid ongoing controversy over Likud's primary elections. In a 103fm interview, Gottlieb insisted that the primaries will proceed as usual, highlighting Netanyahu's desire for strong candidates within the party. She stressed that Netanyahu wants her to remain in Likud and cited his rare public denial of reports suggesting internal disputes involving her. Gottlieb noted that a recent poll commissioned by Netanyahu showed she could secure five Knesset seats.