The Likud party on Friday launched a direct attack on National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir over the deadlock in efforts to unite the right, accusing him of risking the loss of right-wing votes by refusing to join forces with Religious Zionist Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich and thereby paving the way for a government led by Gadi Eisenkot.
In a statement, the party claimed, “By deciding to waste tens of thousands of right-wing votes and refusing to unite with Smotrich, Ben Gvir has decided to pave the way for a left-wing government of Gadi Eisenkot, Avigdor Liberman, Yair Golan and the Arab parties."
Likud framed the issue as a choice facing Ben Gvir: whether to support the formation of a “broad national government" led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, or, according to the party, risk the loss of right-wing votes and the establishment of an alternative government.
The party praised the Netanyahu government’s achievements in recent years, including advancing construction of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, operations against Iran and the defense establishment’s successes against senior figures in terrorist organizations. It argued that these achievements could be undone if another government comes to power.
Likud also warned that an Eisenkot-led government, with the support of Liberman, Yair Golan and the Arab parties, would work to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, give in to international pressure, harm the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and Channel 14, and, according to the party, pursue right-wing figures.
Likud concluded its statement with a direct appeal to Ben Gvir: “Overcome your personal ego, show maturity and responsibility, and unite for the sake of the right and the Land of Israel."
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)