MK Bezalel Smotrich, who heads the Religious Zionism party said he is working to pull the Jewish Home party out of the race for Knesset.
Speaking Thursday night at his party headquarters in Modi'in, Smotrich told activists that he is holding negotiations with those close to Jewish Home chief Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked regarding an arrangement in which she would drop out of the race in exchange for a position which would leave her still working for the benefit of the nationalist camp.
"We must not throw votes in the garbage," Channel 12 News quoted Smotrich as saying. "I do not want to expound on this, but everyone involved in educating and explaining needs to tell this to the public. The electoral threshold presents a danger, and we are dealing with that."
"There are negotiations which I am managing within the nationalist camp and with those close to Ayelet, so that she will find a way to be a partner in some way or other. I think it is correct that she continue to present her voice. There is a way in which she will continue to be part of the action and the contribution to Israel in the nationalist camp, without her taking great risks and endangering the State of Israel and the nationalist camp. I very much hope that good logic will prevail. I have reasons to be optimistic."
Shaked's office responded: "Following the false publications put out by Bezalel Smotrich, which are the direct continuation of the chain of lies for which he needs to fast several Days of Atonement, we will clarify that this is complete lies, pulled out of a hat."
"We understand that there are parties which are relying on the Jewish Home's votes, but we are sorry to disappoint, the Jewish Home will run to the end. The clearest thing from all the polls is that without the Jewish Home, there will not be a right-wing government, and a government with the Arabs will be formed. Only with us will it be possible to form a stable right-wing government for four years, which will solve the problems of the cost of living and the lack of security and governance."