Coalition Chair Warns Right-Wing Vote Splitting Could Let Left Form Government

Ophir Katz, chairman of the coalition and Likud MK, issued a sharp warning about the rise of small right-wing parties ahead of Israel's 26th Knesset elections. In an interview with Boaz Golan, Katz criticized the phenomenon, saying these parties risk splitting the national camp's votes and allowing the left to form the next government. He stressed that even a small number of lost mandates could determine the election outcome.

Katz compared the current situation to the last election, where left-wing parties lost over 100,000 votes due to internal divisions. He expressed confidence that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would intervene decisively to prevent further fragmentation within the right-wing bloc, calling such intervention critical for the elections.

Katz warned that if the right-wing vote disperses among numerous small parties driven by ego, those votes will be lost, and the left will govern while right-wing voters watch helplessly from home. This warning comes amid the recent formation of new right-wing parties, including "Israel First," led by MK Sharren Haskel, who resigned from the Knesset and launched a digital campaign titled "The Right Awakens." Katz's comments highlight growing concerns about the right-wing's electoral strategy and unity ahead of the upcoming vote.