Ultra-nationalist lawmaker ramps up ahead of Israeli elections
Head of the far-right Otzma Yehudit faction Itamar Ben Gvir says he no longer needs the Religious Zionism party as an ally to get into the Knesset.
Ultranationalist Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir announced Aug. 15 that his Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) faction would run alone in the upcoming Nov. 1 elections. In the last elections, extreme-right Otzma Yehudit allied with the Religious Zionism party, headed by Bezalel Smotrich. Now Ben Gvir has accused Smotrich of failing to negotiate in good faith on a continued alliance.
He said, “I have tried every way to achieve unity between us, but since Bezalel has rejected every concession, I declare tonight with a full heart that Otzma Yehudit will run by itself in the elections.”
Ben Gvir went on, “In every poll, in every check, in every study, on every tour where we met public opinion in the field and on the street, we’re multiple times larger than him and he demands three quarters of this party for himself.”
He then claimed that during negotiations with Smotrich, he had given up on the first place on the potential joint list and also on having a majority of the Knesset list for Otzma Yehudit.
