Rabbi Rafi Peretz
Rabbi Rafi PeretzHezki Baruch

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu spoke on Friday with Jewish Home chairman Rabbi Rafi Peretz, and asked him to work towards an alliance with the National Union Party, headed by Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

According to the Walla! Hebrew-language website, in an attempt to find a compromise, Netanyahu asked Peretz to relinquish the post of senior minister to Smotrich, but Peretz refused and said he would be ready for negotiations "without preconditions."

Rabbi Peretz said during the conversation that he would agree to compromises with Minister Smotrich if Netanyahu agreed to reserve a spot on the Likud slate for a member of the Jewish Home, most likely Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan who was guaranteed a spot on the Likud slate in the elections to the 21st Knesset. Netanyahu, however, told Peretz that he opposes such a move.

According to the report, during the conversation, Netanyahu also welcomed the alliance between the Jewish Home and Otzma Yehudit.