'Netanyahu doesn't want right-wing government'

Senior officials from the United Right-New Right merger are accusing Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of wanting to form a unity government with the center-left Blue and White party, Kan Bet reported.

According to them, Netanyahu's refusal to reserve a spot on the Likud list for a United Right-New Right member so that the bloc can merge with Otzma Yehudit proves that he does not believe it is possible to form a right-wing government with 61 Knesset members.

On Monday, United Right leaders Education Minister Rabbi Rafi Peretz and Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, together with New Right leaders Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked, agreed that the joint list will be called the "Unified Right."

Part of the merger agreement was that the integration of Otzma Yehudit and other right-wing parties will be done on the basis of reserved spots within the Likud, and in accordance with the demands of Itamar Ben-Gvir and later on in the agreement reached in the last elections.

In addition, the party will recommend Netanyahu for prime minister, and work to enact the Norwegian Law, allowing ministers to resign from the Knesset in order to make room for other party members.