Likud Responds to Ben Gvir's Exclusion from Right-Wing Voter Turnout Campaign
Likud officials explained that Itamar Ben Gvir was excluded from a right-wing voter mobilization campaign due to a lack of rabbinical infrastructure, sparking political debate.
A senior Likud official responded to attacks from the Otzma Yehudit party regarding a joint venture with Religious Zionism aimed at increasing right-wing voter turnout. According to the official, Itamar Ben Gvir was not invited to participate because he lacks the network of rabbis or yeshivas traditionally used to mobilize voters within the religious sector.
The official stated that Likud had actually proposed that Ben Gvir contribute to the campaign's expenses to unite the broader right-wing front, but he refused. Likud rejected Ben Gvir's accusations that his exclusion was linked to the composition of the future coalition, dismissing claims that the initiative aims to form a government with Gadi Eisenkot.
Joint Meeting with Religious Leadership
A decisive meeting took place between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and hundreds of Religious Zionism rabbis. The meeting was led by Binyamin Regional Council head and Yesha Council Chairman Israel Gantz, who was appointed to head the right-wing voter turnout headquarters.
Smotrich stated during a large-scale event in Jerusalem that the upcoming elections will determine the future of the state. He warned against potential alternatives, arguing that the right wing must secure the country's Jewish identity and security.
"The upcoming elections will decide the future of the state of Israel." — Bezalel Smotrich
Reactions from Political Figures
Israel Gantz emphasized the unprecedented unity achieved by bringing together key figures to mobilize hundreds of thousands of right-wing voters to the ballot boxes. In response to the conference, Itamar Ben Gvir posted a cryptic message on social media alongside a photograph of Smotrich at the event.
