Bezalel Smotrich (National Union / HaIchud HaLeumi) and Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) have agreed to join their parties and create a technical bloc just ahead of the official closing of the election party lists.
Until now, Smotrich had opposed joining with Ben-Gvir, but rumor has it that PM Benjamin Netanyahu promised Smotrich a seat on the judicial appointment committee and other ministerial positions if he would agree to have Ben-Gvir to run together with him on a joint list. According to Amit Segal, Netanyahu promised Smotrich that one of his people will be in position 28 on the Likud list, if Hagit Moshe joins him too.
Netanyahu is likely counting on Smotrich’s help in forming a coalition after the upcoming elections, assuming Smotrich’s party passes the electoral threshold.
While Gidon Sa’ar has said his party would absolutely not sit with Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett would only prefer to not sit with Netanyahu, but for the right agreement and ministerial would probably do so.
Per the current agreement, Smotrich’s party keeps the majority seats, except 3, 6, 10 and 11 which have been reserved for Ben-Gvir’s party. Ben-Gvir merged his party with the Noam party before signing with Smotrich, so half those seats will go to Noam’s representatives.
As of now, the list is as follows:
1. National Union – Bezalel Smotrich
2. National Union
3. Itamar Ben-Gvir – Otzma Yehudit
4. National Union
5. National Union
6. Noam – Avi Maoz
7. National Union
8. National Union
9. National Union
10. Otzma Yehudit
11. Noam
If Hagit Moshe, the head of the Bayit Yehudi party, decides to also join with Smotrich, her party will receive positions 2 and probably 5 and perhaps one of 7, 8 or 9.
Polls show that if the three parties merge, they have a better chance of passing the electoral threshold than they do alone. Passing the threshold which would give them a minimum of 4 seats.
There is a good chance the individual parties will break apart apart into their individual parties after the elections.
It is expected they will register their join party under the name “Religious Zionist / Tzionut Hadatit”