Ben-Gvir: Netanyahu vowed to EU I won't be in next government

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening of sending a message to European Union leaders that Ben-Gvir will not be part of the next government after elections. In his statement, he attacked the move and what he described as Likud's attempts to damage Otzma Yehudit.

"I say the following with deep sorrow, after hearing such reports for a long time but praying they were not true," Ben-Gvir said in a statement to the press. "According to verified and confirmed information that reached me in recent days, the Prime Minister's Office formally committed to a series of European Union countries that Ben-Gvir will not be in the next government."

According to Ben-Gvir, "this is not about vague messages, but an explicit message conveyed to those countries, whether to foreign ministers or a level above, that the Prime Minister does not intend to bring me into the next government."

"I say to you, Mr. Prime Minister: don't waste your effort, don't build on legitimacy from the left!" he declared. "If you decide and defeat our enemies, if you save Israeli democracy from the lawyers' coup, if you lead a true right-wing policy, Jewish history will remember you for good more than any other leader. Don't build on the left that spilled your blood for decades; they will hate you forever. Don't waste your effort. Bibi needs a strong Ben-Gvir, not a strong Eisenkot!"

Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in interview with Yossi Ben Attar (Srugim studio)

In closing, Ben-Gvir addressed Netanyahu directly: "My friend the Prime Minister, you know the facts well. When your friends in Likud tried to stage a putsch to remove you, I'm the one who prevented it. You told me then that you can rely on me more than on your friends in Likud."

"Unfortunately, what Likud is trying to do now is bring Otzma Yehudit down to five seats, and this unfortunately is something that directly endangers right-wing rule," he concluded. "I say to Likud: if you harm Otzma Yehudit, you may cause our voters to stay home. Ben-Gvir voters will not go out to vote for other parties. A strong Ben-Gvir, that is the hope and reason for hundreds of thousands of right-wing voters to go out and vote."

Likud responded: "Ben-Gvir continues with false political spin and friendly fire. The opposite is true. The Prime Minister has made clear that any government will include the base of partners from the current coalition, and every Zionist party will be invited to join based on our platform and the current composition. Now we must vote Likud to prevent a left-wing government of Eisenkot with the Arab parties, Yair Golan, Liberman and Bennett, and to complete the necessary security mission together with our American friends."