National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has disclosed that members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's own Likud party approached him with a proposal to replace Netanyahu after Ben-Gvir left the government coalition.
According to Ben-Gvir, who leads the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, Likud figures suggested forming an alternative right-wing government without Netanyahu at its head. The minister said he immediately rejected the overture and personally informed the prime minister about the approach, warning him that support within his own party was insufficient.
In an interview, Ben-Gvir recounted: "I remember specifically from the period when I left the government, and then Likud figures came to me --- I won't name names--- and they came and said to me 'there's an opportunity now, there's an opportunity now! Let's send Netanyahu home and establish a right-wing government, establish a right-wing government.' First - I didn't accept it."
The minister emphasized his loyalty, saying: "Not only did I not accept it, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu in one of our conversations, I told him: 'I can tell you, I wish that in Likud they loved you the way I love and appreciate you.' So he said to me: 'You love and appreciate, but there are all kinds of other figures in Likud who love me and appreciate me.' I told him: 'Mr. Prime Minister, it's not enough."
