Itamar Ben Gvir Rejects Alliance with Bezalel Smotrich, Citing Loss of Peripheral and Young Voters

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's National Security Minister, dismissed the possibility of a joint electoral run with Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, ahead of the upcoming elections. In a Monday interview on 103fm, Ben Gvir argued that partnering with Smotrich would weaken the right-wing bloc by alienating voters from peripheral areas and younger demographics. He urged Smotrich to instead join the new party led by retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter, stating, "If I take Smotrich, the right loses." Ben Gvir also expressed concern that Winter running separately could harm the right-wing camp and called on Winter to unite with Smotrich, questioning why this has not happened yet.

During the interview, Ben Gvir responded to criticism over footage showing him DJing at a Tel Aviv club. Host Il Barkovitz challenged him to be more serious as a minister amid rising violence, but Ben Gvir countered by highlighting a 95% reduction in terror attacks. The discussion included a debate over responsibility for preventing attacks, with Ben Gvir sarcastically denying direct accountability.

Ben Gvir also addressed the issue of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) enlistment, emphasizing that integration into the police force should be encouraged through incentives rather than coercion. He claimed credit for recruiting 1,400 Haredim into the police by embracing them rather than using force. Responding to political commentator Amit Segal's criticism, Ben Gvir rejected claims that his reforms undermine legitimacy, defending his actions in prison reform and security.

He recounted his tough stance against pro-Palestinian flotilla activists attempting to reach Gaza, contrasting his approach with previous government efforts he described as superficial. Ben Gvir stated he prefers to be perceived as "less nice" if it means protecting Israeli soldiers' lives. When questioned about public feelings of insecurity despite his tenure, he insisted he is making unprecedented efforts in 40 years and working hard to improve security.

Key points: - Ben Gvir rules out electoral alliance with Smotrich, fearing loss of peripheral and young voters. - He urges Smotrich to join Ofer Winter's new party to strengthen the right-wing bloc. - Ben Gvir defends his DJing incident amid criticism, citing a drop in terror attacks. - He promotes incentive-based Haredi recruitment to police, claiming success in integration. - Ben Gvir dismisses political criticism and highlights his tough security policies, including against Gaza flotillas. - He asserts his ongoing efforts have improved Israeli security despite public doubts.

Topic: politics Israel_relevant: true Entities: {"people":["Itamar Ben Gvir","Bezalel Smotrich","Ofer Winter","Il Barkovitz","Amit Segal"],"organizations":["Religious Zionism","Israeli Police","Shin Bet"],"places":["Israel","Tel Aviv","Gaza"]}