Otzma Yehudit and Likud in final discussions on Tally Gotliv's defection
After claiming the Prime Minister "stabbed her in the back," Likud and Otzma Yehudit are in the final stages of finalizing Tally Gotliv's move to Itamar Ben Gvir's party, likely to the fourth spot on the list.
The Otzma Yehudit and Likud parties are in final discussions ahead of the move of Knesset member Tally Gotliv to Itamar Ben Gvir's faction. The parties are finalizing procedural details regarding the transition, the approval of the move at the faction level, and Gotliv's official integration.
Recently, a conversation took place between Gotliv and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir, who is interested in adding her to his list for the upcoming elections. "I am waiting for the Prime Minister's decision on the Gotliv issue," he told ynet yesterday. "I will not take a single step before that." Ben Gvir intends to allocate Gotliv a spot in the top five of Otzma Yehudit, likely the fourth spot on the list.
Such a move requires Gotliv to leave Likud, a step that until recently seemed distant. However, in light of her sharpening tone toward Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent days, this possibility has become more plausible. Gotliv intensified her attack on Netanyahu yesterday, stating in an interview with Kol Berama radio that the Prime Minister "stabbed me in the back." According to her, she "threw herself on the fence" for Netanyahu and the right-wing government, but feels that now he and his associates are working to push her aside.
In meetings with Likud activists in recent days, Gotliv claimed that Netanyahu is moving away from the hard line against the judicial system and that his inner circle is seeking to craft a new, more moderate image for Likud while pushing her out, as she is particularly identified with the struggle against the Supreme Court.
This morning, at the "Time for Decision: Democracy and Society" conference organized by ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth in collaboration with the Israel Democracy Institute, Defense Minister Israel Katz addressed the confrontation with MK Gotliv:
"She came to Likud, was in Likud, and we had a good relationship. She actually praised my activity as Defense Minister all the time, until I signed a confidentiality order. In the end, there was no indictment because she has immunity. The new head of the Shin Bet came, I have no doubt about him, and said 'you must sign — you have no choice,' and basically if there is a trial I don't want the names of Shin Bet personnel to be exposed. This brought her into a conflict."
On the question of whether Gotliv is suitable for Likud, Katz replied: "First of all, she already said she wants to leave Likud. She is waiting for an offer, so I assume the Prime Minister is handling it. In any case, from my impression, no one took votes away from her — in Ashdod, where the branch is strong, she received over 800 votes."
