Netanyahu expected to give Gottlieb the green light to leave, Ben Gvir eyes her for the top five
Following intensified criticism of the Prime Minister and claims that his inner circle is working to exclude her from the party, it has emerged that the Otzma Yehudit chairman has held talks with the Likud MK. Ben Gvir is earmarking a spot for her in the top five of his list—likely the fourth. Senior Likud officials claim she requested the 12th spot and was refused.
The tension between MK Tali Gottlieb and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is approaching a boiling point, and against this backdrop, the possibility of her leaving Likud is gaining momentum. It has been learned that a conversation recently took place between Gottlieb and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir, who is interested in adding her to his list for the upcoming elections. Ben Gvir is earmarking a spot for Gottlieb in the top five of Otzma Yehudit, likely the fourth position on the list.
Such a move would require Gottlieb to leave Likud, a step that until recently seemed distant. However, in light of her sharpening tone toward Netanyahu in recent days, the possibility no longer seems far-fetched, and the Prime Minister is expected to give her the green light to leave.
Gottlieb herself intensified her attack on Netanyahu this morning, stating in an interview with Kol Berama radio that the Prime Minister had "stuck a knife in my back." According to her, she "threw herself on the fence" for Netanyahu and the right-wing government, but feels that he and his advisors are now working to push her aside. In meetings with Likud activists, Gottlieb claims that Netanyahu is moving away from the hard line against the judicial system, seeking to shape a new, more moderate image for Likud while sidelining her, as she is particularly identified with the struggle against the Supreme Court.
Senior Likud officials claim, on the other hand, that Gottlieb requested to be placed in the 12th spot on the party list—the position voters chose for her in the primaries before the inclusion of reserved spots—but her request was rejected. Consequently, Gottlieb dropped to the 20th spot on the list.
Already yesterday, Gottlieb signaled that the possibility of leaving Likud is no longer a taboo. She wrote that if she received a "realistic offer" from a party that respected her electoral power and allowed her to run for a significant ministerial position, she would consider it "seriously." Today, she attempted to clarify that her harsh criticism does not indicate a change in her political loyalty. "There is no one as loyal as I am to the PM and the Likud party. My loyalty is not in doubt," she wrote on X.
However, in the same post, she pointed an accusing finger at Netanyahu's environment: "The PM and his advisors are the ones working to exclude me from Likud contrary to the will of the voters." She added, "The PM, unfortunately, does not want me in Likud, and his people are working to exclude me." She concluded with a hint regarding her future: "Many are the thoughts in a man's heart, but the counsel of the Lord shall stand."
Even before recent developments, Gottlieb's name was mentioned as a possible candidate to join Otzma Yehudit. Ben Gvir is looking to strengthen his list with familiar figures identified with the right-wing of the coalition, and with the worsening relations between Gottlieb and Netanyahu, the possibility of a move is gaining real weight.
