Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit alleges Netanyahu is preparing alliance with Eisenkot
Ben Gvir’s party claims Likud is seeking to weaken it electorally and lay the groundwork for a broader post-election coalition
Officials from Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering forming a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot after the elections. They allege that Likud is therefore seeking to reduce Otzma Yehudit’s electoral strength.
According to the officials, Ben Gvir has become increasingly convinced over the past month that Likud is attempting to isolate his party and weaken his political standing. They say messages from Netanyahu’s inner circle have reinforced concerns about the prime minister’s intentions.
Otzma Yehudit officials are particularly skeptical of Netanyahu’s pledge to base his next government on the parties in the current coalition. In their view, Likud’s electoral strategy points instead to the possibility of a much broader alliance.
They note that Likud’s campaign now emphasizes the formation of a “broad government,” while its previous promise to establish an exclusively right-wing coalition has become less prominent.
The officials argue that weakening Otzma Yehudit at the polls would make it significantly easier for Netanyahu to pursue a partnership with Eisenkot, who has not ruled out joining a Netanyahu-led government. They also point to Netanyahu’s recent reluctance to appear publicly alongside Ben Gvir.
Otzma Yehudit says such an arrangement would not be unprecedented. The party notes that Netanyahu has previously governed with Labor and Yesh Atid and has sought to form a unity government with Benny Gantz.
Some party officials go further, claiming that Netanyahu has already decided to pursue a future agreement with Eisenkot. They believe such a coalition would require abandoning several of the right-wing bloc’s priorities, including judicial reform and efforts to remove the attorney general.
They also suggest that Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich could agree to join such a government if offered a sufficiently senior position. Ben Gvir, by contrast, would be unable to participate in a coalition that abandoned policies such as judicial reform and the encouragement of emigration, they say.
Otzma Yehudit officials therefore contend that, despite Netanyahu’s public commitment to preserving the current coalition, he is already laying the groundwork for a future unity government with Eisenkot.