Rabbi Dov Lior, one of the leading rabbis of the Religious Zionist movement, last night told the heads of Otzma Yehudit party, which he endorses, that if attempts to form alliances with other parties fail, they must run independently.
Last night it was revealed that there are growing voices in Jewish Home opposed to an alliance of the right-wing parties, and neither is National Union Chairman Betzalel Smotritch, according to the party, in a hurry to form such an alliance.
Late last night, Rabbi Lior sent a letter in which he wrote that efforts should be made to ally with other Torah-observant factions to increase the power of Knesset representation, "but if the attempts at unity fail you must run alone to save the tens of thousands of votes of Otzma supporters faithful to our Holy Land," he said.
A source from Otzma Yehudit said this morning, Tuesday, "Out of responsibility and a desire that the left not rise and that there be a representative of a Religious Zionist party in the coming Knesset, we tried in every way to achieve unity and alliance, we gave up on positions and compromised on seats, and everything in order to succeed in creating a big right-wing party to the right of the Likud. But unfortunately, all of our efforts hit a brick wall of arrogance and irresponsible politicians.”
“Unfortunately, both the Jewish Home and the National Union will not pass the electoral threshold in the coming elections, and the rejection of the hand that we extended is reminiscent of the split in 1992 that led to the establishment of a left-wing government.”