Netanyahu
NetanyahuEsti Dzubov/TPS

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu promised the heads of the United Right two cabinet posts in the next government if they agree to run together with Otzma Yehudit and not the New Right party, the Walla news website reported Wednesday evening.

According to the report, Netanyahu made the offer in order to undermine the possibility of a joint run between the United Right and the New Right.

A senior political source said in response to the report: "Netanyahu continues to act in the same manner and to sabotage efforts to unite religious Zionism under one roof before the elections."

Likud, however, responded to the report by saying that "The Prime Minister is not handing out ministerial portfolios to anyone, and is not getting involved in alliances on the Right. Whoever wants a right-wing government headed by Netanyahu must vote only for one big Likud."

Netanyahu has in recent days been exerting great pressure on ministers Rafi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich to agree to accept Otzma Yehudit first and only then to hold discussions with the New Right.

At the moment, Netanyahu and his associates prefer that parties to the right of Likud will form two smaller parties rather than one big party. According to assessments, this stems from the thought that a run of two separate parties - one which unites the secular and moderate-religious right-wing and one which unites the religious and ultra-religious public - will yield the maximum number of right-wing votes and will increase Netanyahu's chances of forming a right-wing government.

So far, according to polls, the right-wing bloc fails to obtain the majority needed to form a coalition, as does the left-wing bloc.