Leaders of Otzma Yehudit with Rabbi Lior
Leaders of Otzma Yehudit with Rabbi LiorOtzma Yehudit

The Otzma Yehudit party responded on Thursday night to the signing of an agreement between the Jewish Home and National Union parties on a joint run in the elections to the 21st Knesset.

"We congratulate the Jewish Home and the National Union, who finally reached an agreement on a unity between the parties. A reading of the agreement shows that the members of the Jewish Home and the National Union did not take into account or leave room for Otzma Yehudit and other parties and believe that another split on the right is possible," said the party.

"Otzma will run in the upcoming elections with other parties, and together with them we will be the surprise of the elections. We wish for the Jewish Home and the National Union to pass the threshold and enter the next Knesset," added Otzma Yehudit.

According to the agreement between Jewish Home and National Union, the list will be put together using the “zipper method”. The Jewish Home will receive the odd numbers on the list and the National Union the even numbers.

The National Union party will be entitled to choose first the role it will be given as part of an entry into the coalition.

If one minister is appointed, there will be a rotation between Rabbi Peretz and Smotrich. In addition to a rotation in the role of the sole minister, if there is an odd number of MKs in the Knesset, there will be rotation in the final spot.

Recent polls have shown that the Jewish Home and National Union would struggle to clear the electoral threshold – even if they run on a joint list. A party must win 3.25% of the vote to enter the Knesset, or else see its votes divided up amongst the remaining parties.

Some party activists have suggested a joint run with Otzma Yehudit, which is led by supporters of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, including Baruch Marzel, former MK Michael Ben-Ari, and attorney Itamar Ben-Gvir, but the contacts between the sides have not yielded fruit.

A poll released on Wednesday found that a union between the five smaller right-wing parties (Jewish Home, National Union, Eli Yishai’s Yahad, Otzma Yehudit and Zehut) could net as many as 12 seats in the April 9 election.