A rift within Israel’s right-wing bloc burst into the open as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party accused far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of potentially handing power to the opposition by refusing to join forces with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ahead of October’s elections.
Netanyahu publicly invited Ben Gvir and Smotrich to meet Sunday to discuss a joint electoral slate, warning that right-wing votes could be wasted under Israel’s 3.25% electoral threshold.
“I invite [National Security] Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and [Finance] Minister Bezalel Smotrich to a meeting on Sunday. No vote can go to waste; the parties must unite in order to save the right-wing bloc!” the Israeli prime minister said in a statement.
Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit swiftly rejected the proposal, declaring its decision not to merge with Smotrich’s Religious Zionism “final and complete, and it will not be changed under any circumstances.”
“Accordingly, there will be no talks, or meetings, or discussions on the topic, not directly, and not indirectly,” the far-right party’s statement said.
Likud responded with a scathing attack, accusing Ben Gvir of “burning” tens of thousands of right-wing votes and effectively “coronating a left-wing government” led by figures including Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman and Yair Golan.
“In his decision to burn tens of thousands of right-wing votes and not unite with Smotrich, Ben Gvir decided today to coronate a left-wing government of Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan, and the Arab parties,” the statement read.
“Ben Gvir, overcome your personal ego. Show maturity and responsibility. Merge, for the sake of the right-wing,” Likud said.
Source: Israeli media (edited by Al-Manar)