Yossi Brodny
Yossi BrodnyIsrael National News

The chairman of the Jewish Home Party, Yossi Brodny, claims that he is not prepared to sit in the same government with the Religious Zionist Party.

Speaking at an election conference in Petah Tikva, Brodny said, "I will never sit in a government with [Itamar] Ben Gvir and [Bezalel] Smotrich."

Israel National News has learned that Brodny added, "I prefer to sit with Meretz", but his spokesperson denied he said this quote.

An official from the Jewish Home who was present at the conference told Israel National News that "the remarks, as they were reported, were not said and were even taken out of context."

At the same conference, Brodny also stated that "the next chief rabbi will be a national religious rabbi. This will be a threshold requirement for the Jewish Home to join the next government."

Meanwhile, Reshet Bet radio reported that Zionist Spirit Party chairwoman Ayelet Shaked is ready to offer the third spot on her slate to the Jewish Home leader.

Political sources said that the Jewish Home refuses to settle for just one spot on the slate and would like to place more of their candidates further down the slate, and this is the main bone of contention between the parties.

Minister Shaked's office refused to comment on the report. The Jewish Home party said that "this is a trial balloon. Yossi Brodny has proven that only the good of the public is what is important to him. He is not looking for a political arrangement, but to take care of the national religious community that needs a home for its values ​​and needs and calls on the national religious community to return to the Jewish Home."