MK Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party, on Wednesday spoke about whether he would drop out of the race if polls ahead of the elections showed his party failing to cross the electoral threshold.
In an interview with Makor Rishon, Smotrich said, "I don't understand the question. It's a shame to waste time speculating. Statistically, we have had 100% success in passing the electoral threshold, from the time the State was founded until today. We're not even in the danger zone - Religious Zionism passes, and hugely."
Regarding Yamina's leader, MK Naftali Bennett, Smotrich said: "Bennett is just another feel-good party. Their situation is much more dangerous than our situation, despite the flattering polls, which time after time prove to be meaningless during the moment of truth. We've already seen how feel-good parties can rank high in polls and then collapse."
Expressing hope that New Hope's Gideon Sa'ar "will come to a right-wing government led by [Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin] Netanyahu," but said that he "hears him saying, 'Anyone but Netanyahu.'"
"He's definitely a legitimate partner, he's a rightist who unfortunately aims to form a government with the Left. Let's stop confusing the concepts. There is no such thing as a government with the Left; there is only a leftist government. Look what happened with this last government - look what [Avi] Nissenkorn did with the justice portfolio, look what [Defense Minister Benny] Gantz did when he torpedoed the regulation of young settlements."
When asked why he had rushed to come out in support of Netanyahu, Smotrich said: "Netanyahu is far from the ideal right-wing leader. But in politics, you choose between alternatives. Today the map is becoming clearer: It's either a right-wing government with all of the nationalist parties, or it's a leftist government. The fact that right now there are no alternatives to Netanyahu, because no one is willing to sit with him, and he is dependent on us, will allow us this time to implement a proper right-wing policy. Certainly, Netanyahu is a lot better than the other options of a government with the Left."
Regarding whether Israel can implement sovereignty in Judea and Samaria under the Biden administration, Smotrich said: "The dream of sovereignty can happen under the Biden administration, even if not fully; certainly, in areas which have a consensus, such as the Jordan Valley. We must push for that. But even before official sovereignty, there are many steps to take towards de facto sovereignty. One of the things I am going to insist on as a condition for being part of the coalition is the disbanding of the Civil Administration, and the placement of the settlements directly under government offices."