Netanyahu Calls Ben Gvir and Smotrich to Unite Right-Wing Ahead of Elections
Prime Minister Netanyahu has invited ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich to meetings aimed at uniting the right-wing bloc before Israel's upcoming elections. Otzma Yehudit rejected the unification, proposing alternative strategies to maintain right-wing strength. Netanyahu warned that a divided right-wing vote risks electoral losses, referencing the 1992 election. Retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter's new party remains outside Netanyahu's immediate unification efforts but is seen as a potential electoral survivor.
הידיעה ב-6 שורות · תקציר של baba
- Netanyahu invites Ben Gvir and Smotrich to meetings to unify the right-wing bloc before elections.
- Otzma Yehudit rejects unification with Religious Zionist Party, proposing alternative right-wing strategies.
- Netanyahu warns that a divided right risks repeating 1992 election losses and national disasters.
- Netanyahu focuses on Ben Gvir and Smotrich, excluding Ofer Winter's new party from unification talks.
- Ofer Winter affirms right-wing alignment but insists on independence and outlines key policy commitments.
- Political analysts see Winter as likely to pass the electoral threshold, unlike Smotrich.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has summoned ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for separate meetings on Sunday in an effort to unify the right-wing bloc ahead of the upcoming elections. Netanyahu emphasized the importance of consolidating votes to prevent losses, stating, "We must unite to save the right-wing bloc." This move follows recent public disputes between the two ministers.
However, Otzma Yehudit, led by Ben Gvir, rejected the unification proposal outright, declaring that their split from the Religious Zionist Party is final and that no talks or meetings will take place, either directly or indirectly. Instead, Otzma Yehudit suggested alternative paths to ensure right-wing dominance, including uniting smaller parties or using reserved slots within Likud for Smotrich, while maintaining their independence.
Netanyahu's intervention came after he released a video urging the two parties to overcome personal differences and unite, warning that a divided right-wing vote could lead to losses similar to those in the 1992 elections when multiple right-wing parties failed to pass the electoral threshold. He cited the consequences of that split, including the Oslo Accords and the rise of Hamas, as national disasters.
Notably, Netanyahu did not mention retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter and his new party "Amcha Yisrael" in his call for unity, focusing instead on Ben Gvir and Smotrich. Political analysts suggest this indicates confidence in Winter's chances to pass the electoral threshold, while Smotrich's position is more precarious. Winter himself affirmed his party's alignment with Netanyahu's right-wing camp but stressed his independence and outlined commitments such as integrating ultra-Orthodox soldiers into the IDF and encouraging voluntary migration from Gaza.
Netanyahu is expected to address Winter later, as pressure mounts on Winter to merge with an established party amid skepticism within Likud about his political entry. The prime minister's efforts highlight the strategic importance of consolidating the right-wing vote to secure a stable government after the elections.
מוזכרים
אותו אירוע, כפי שכל מערכת דיווחה עליו בנפרד. פתחו כמה דיווחים כדי להשוות מה כל מערכת מדגישה, ומה היא משאירה בחוץ.
שמאל 1מרכז 4ימין 3חרדית 2
