Netanyahu, Smotrich launch joint turnout drive without Ben-Gvir

Likud and Religious Zionism are launching a joint get-out-the-vote operation today (Thursday), coordinating their efforts from now through election day. Otzma Yehudit and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir are not taking part.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are set to unveil the joint program, which aims to wake up around five mandates' worth of right-wing voters who were not planning to turn out. They are leading the effort together with Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Gantz.

The program is divided into four main tracks: joint management of election day including coordinated messaging; a joint door-to-door canvassing operation in strategic locations; assistance for thousands of voters who cannot reach the polls; placement of key figures in communities to drive turnout at polling stations; and phone banks reaching audiences the door-to-door effort does not reach.

The parties are using a multiplication formula: institutions × activists × doors/phone calls. The estimate is that the operation will reach around 200,000 potential voters, close to five mandates.

The launch of the program reflects close cooperation between Netanyahu and Smotrich, forged over recent years of partnership in fateful moments in the Kirya bunker and during the war, which has strengthened the mutual trust between the two.

Ben-Gvir left out

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party have been left out of the joint program. As Kikar HaShabbat reported, Likud signed surplus-vote agreements with Religious Zionism and Zehut, but refused to sign a similar agreement with Otzma Yehudit.

Otzma Yehudit claimed the refusal is part of an attempt by Likud to shrink the party and leave Ben-Gvir out of the unity government Likud is planning to form with Gadi Eisenkot. As reported, Otzma Yehudit was also left out of the emergency conference held for rabbis and heads of institutions in Religious Zionism.

The political picture

According to a poll published on Channel 13 News, the Netanyahu bloc has reached a peak of 55 mandates, while the opposition bloc has dropped to 50 mandates. Likud and the "Yashar" party led by Gadi Eisenkot are tied at 20 mandates each.

Among the chareidi parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas are polling at 8 and 7 mandates respectively, for a combined 15 mandates. Religious Zionism under Bezalel Smotrich receives 7 mandates, and Otzma Yehudit under Itamar Ben-Gvir receives 8 mandates.