Netanyahu Urges Far Right Unity Amid Rise of New Party

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit and Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party to unite ahead of the upcoming election. Netanyahu stated in a video that the right wing must overcome personal grievances to avoid a fractured bloc, warning that failure to unite could lead to a left wing government led by Gadi Eisenkot. While Smotrich expressed that the time for unity and responsibility is now, Ben-Gvir rejected the proposal. Ben-Gvir argued that an alliance with Smotrich would cost Otzma Yehudit votes, specifically among ultra Orthodox and Mizrahi voters, who may instead support a new party led by former IDF general Ofer Winter. Ben-Gvir further accused Netanyahu of attempting to weaken Otzma Yehudit to facilitate a broad national government with Eisenkot. In response, Netanyahu claimed that polls show a union between Ben-Gvir and Smotrich would strengthen the right wing bloc. Meanwhile, Ofer Winter has vowed to back Netanyahu as prime minister following a Likud campaign that suggested he might support Lieberman or Eisenkot. Center and center right sources focus on the strategic necessity of the right wing alliance to maintain power, while left leaning sources frame the situation as a conflict between extremist, messianic, and racist entities.