Netanyahu party in uproar as far right refuses pleas to unite

Belazel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir have run together twice before.(AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party on Friday criticized a far-right Cabinet member for refusing to run on a joint slate with another ultranationalist, warning that a split vote could hurt their coalition in upcoming elections.National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who recently drew international condemnation for saying Israel should kill “30 to 40” Palestinians each night in Gaza, has rejected Netanyahu’s pleas to join forces with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.“What does Ben Gvir want? A broad national government led by Prime Minister Netanyahu … or because of personal considerations, to burn right-wing votes in order to put a left-wing government in power?” Likud’s official account wrote on X.Netanyahu’s calls for unity among his hard-right allies ahead of the Oct. 27 vote come amid a surge in polls for a new far-right party outside his coalition, founded by former general Ofer Winter.Analysts say Winter’s rising popularity could siphon votes from Smotrich’s base, potentially preventing his Religious Zionism party from clearing the 3.25% electoral threshold unless it joins a slate with another party.Winter, who is also from the religious right, has been a vocal critic of the governing coalition, which relies on ultra-Orthodox parties, for allowing men in that community to avoid military service.In a video posted on X on Thursday night, Netanyahu said Smotrich and Ben Gvir “must unite. Every time we ran united, we won. When we ran separately, we lost.”“In 1992, the Right had more votes than the Left, like today, but because we were running separately, we got the disaster of Oslo, Arafat, Hamas and recurring catastrophes,” he said, referring to the peace process launched with the 1993 Oslo Accords between slain center-left Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.Smotrich appeared receptive to the proposal.“It’s time for unity and responsibility in the national camp,” he wrote on X on Thursday evening.On Friday morning, Netanyahu invited Ben Gvir and Smotrich to a meeting Sunday.“We must not waste a single vote; we must unite to save the right-wing bloc!” he wrote on X.But Ben Gvir accused Netanyahu of seeking to weaken his right-wing populist Jewish Power party, which consistently polls at about seven to eight parliamentary seats — comfortably above the threshold.“According to all polls, a joint run between me and Smotrich would set Jewish Power back by three to four parliament seats,” Ben Gvir wrote on X.Both ultranationalist parties, once shunned by mainstream politicians, have sought to maintain their independence, allowing them to act as kingmakers and promote uncompromising positions rather than follow the lead of the historically secular Likud.Ben Gvir suggested Netanyahu instead push for a joint slate between Winter and Smotrich.Smotrich and Ben Gvir have run together twice before. Their joint slate won six seats in 2021, then doubled its total to 14 in the 2022 election that produced the current parliament. The alliance later split into Smotrich’s Religious Zionism and Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power, with seven seats each.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads