Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday morning invited National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionist Party) to meetings on Sunday in an effort to promote a joint run ahead of the elections.
"I invite Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Minister Bezalel Smotrich to meetings on Sunday," Netanyahu wrote. "We must not waste a single vote. We must unite in order to save the right-wing bloc!"
Otzma Yehudit quickly responded to the invitation, stating, "The Otzma Yehudit party and the Religious Zionist Party will not run together in the upcoming Knesset elections. This decision is final and absolute and will not change under any circumstances."
"There will be no negotiations, meetings, or discussions on the matter, either directly or indirectly."
Otzma Yehudit offered Netanyahu two alternatives to a joint run with Smotrich. The party called on the Prime Minister to work to unite the "fragments of the small parties," or to use the reserved spots he received on the Likud slate for Smotrich.
According to the party, these alternatives are intended to prevent votes in the right-wing camp from being wasted. Otzma Yehudit called on Netanyahu to advance them "in order to ensure the right's victory in the elections and the establishment of a true right-wing government."
Smotrich, unlike Ben Gvir, responded positively to Netanyahu's initial call for unity in the right-wing camp. In a brief statement, he wrote, "It is time for unity and responsibility in the nationalist camp."