To illustrate just how insulting the story below was to Otzma Yehudit Chairman MK Itamar Ben Gvir, this is a video of Ben Gvir Monday night, at the second Hakafot in Kfar Chabad – after the incident reported below. The candidate was pressed from all sides by adoring Chabadniks, there was no mistaking whom they were voting for come November 1.
According to Channel 14’s reporter Kobi Bornshtein, while Ben Gvir was standing on the stage at Kfar Chabad, Likud Chairman MK Benjamin Netanyahu arrived, but refused to go on stage until Ben Gvir came down, which angered Ben Gvir––justifiably so––and he came down only after pressure from the organizers. As he was getting off the stage, Ben Gvir said: “Shame and disgrace.”
תיעוד נוסף של בן גביר מורד מהבמה. בהפקת האירוע טוענים שבן גביר חיכה בחוץ 25 דקות ועלה בכוונה שנייה לפני נתניהו, למרות שהתבקש לחכות pic.twitter.com/MakgrGhgq9
— kobi bornshtein | קובי בורנשטיין (@kobi_bornshtein) October 17, 2022
Ben Gvir, who was asking to speak to the assembled Chabadniks as candidate Gideon Sa’ar had done earlier in the evening, was prevented from reaching the mic by an organizer who said, “He (Netanyahu) won’t go up if Itamar doesn’t go down.”
Netanyahu waiting for Ben Gvir to leave the stage before going up:
ומהצד השני: נתניהו ממתין מתחת לבמה ומסרב לעלות כל עוד בן גביר שם pic.twitter.com/Xe8nBqdNvU
— kobi bornshtein | קובי בורנשטיין (@kobi_bornshtein) October 17, 2022
One of Netanyahu’s associates approached Ben Gvir later and explained that a photo of himself with Netanyahu could harm the option of a government with Benny Gantz as defense minister. Of course, this confirms everything I’ve been telling you this election season about Bibi’s preferring to establish a coalition without Ben Gvir and Smotrich and looking to lure Gantz into a partnership in November.
An irate Ben Gvir responded, “Despite Bibi’s advisors, I still appreciate him very much, and it won’t help – there will be a right-wing government, not a broad government with Gantz.”
Later, as can be seen in the video, Ben Gvir returned to the Hakafot and danced with the Hasidim. We bless him and his partner Bezalel Smotrich to win enough mandates so Bibi would be forced to treat them with respect. 15 seats would be nice.
