Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday publicly invited far-right leaders Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to meet on Sunday to discuss them forming a joint list ahead of the October 27 election, saying that the alliance was necessary to “save the right-wing bloc.”
His suggestion was soundly rejected by Otzma Yehudit leader Ben Gvir, who said that under no circumstances would he consider an alliance with Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, prompting Likud to accuse him of risking thousands of right-wing votes for the sake of his own ego.
Netanyahu, in his statement, said he wished to “invite” the pair “to a meeting on Sunday.”
“No vote can go to waste; the parties must unite in order to save the right-wing bloc!” the prime minister said.
But a near-immediate response from Otzma Yehudit informed Netanyahu that Ben Gvir’s decision to keep his party separate from Smotrich’s was “final and complete” and would “not be changed under any circumstances.”
