National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir responded Thursday within minutes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's video appeal, rejecting the proposal to merge his Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism faction ahead of the 2026 elections.
Israeli Politics
Ben-Gvir Rejects Unity Call
National Security Minister responds within minutes to Prime Minister's video appeal, saying both know Netanyahu wants a smaller party to enable broader coalition options
In his own video response, Ben-Gvir addressed Netanyahu directly: "Dear Prime Minister, we both know the truth. You want Otzma Yehudit small so you can go with Eisenkot and establish a 'broad national government.'" He was referring to former Defense Minister Gadi Eisenkot, a centrist opposition figure. Ben-Gvir continued: "Only with a large Otzma Yehudit, and Smotrich and Winter going together, only this way can we establish a fully right-wing government."
Ben-Gvir's remarks came in response to Netanyahu's earlier video calling for a joint slate between the two right-wing parties. "They must unite," Netanyahu said in his appeal. "Every time we ran together, we won. When we ran separately—we lost." The Prime Minister cited the 1992 elections as a cautionary example: "In '92, the right had—like today—more votes than the left, but because three parties didn't pass the electoral threshold, we lost. As a result, we got Arafat and Hamas, yes, and ongoing disasters. This can happen again." Netanyahu acknowledged personal issues between the two leaders but urged them to overcome it, saying he would invite them in the coming days to make "a supreme effort to unite, which is what the public expects from them—and rightly so."
Smotrich responds| צילום: ללא קרדיט
