Likud Official Ends Speculation, Vows Deal with Smotrich's Party

A senior Likud official has definitively stated that the party will not sign a surplus agreement with Ofer Vinter's "Am Yisrael" party, putting an end to speculation. The official confirmed that Likud will honor its commitment to the Religious Zionism party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and that the agreement will be finalized in the coming days. "There is an agreement and there is a word. We promised and we will stand by our promise," the official stated, emphasizing that the commitment to Smotrich is final.

This clarification follows earlier reports that elements within Likud had pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's circle to delay the surplus agreement with Religious Zionism. The alleged plan was to wait and see if Vinter's party would pass the electoral threshold, and if so, to potentially cancel the deal with Smotrich and sign with Vinter instead. This would have allowed Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir to form their own surplus agreement, aiming to consolidate votes for the right-wing bloc.

The proposal reportedly met with strong opposition from senior Religious Zionism figures, who viewed it as an attempt to undermine their party, which is struggling to cross the electoral threshold. The Likud official dismissed the possibility of Vinter passing the threshold, stating there is no reason to entertain such scenarios. While the deadline for signing surplus agreements is still some time away, Likud insists its decision is final and will not change. The party official also stated that attempts by self-interested parties to create conflict within the bloc will fail, as Likud's interest lies in a strong and united right-wing bloc, which requires honoring agreements.