PM to press on Minister of Transport to promote joint run on right • Minister rejected PM's brokerage proposal but met with him twice a day • "Without consolidation there is no 61"
Benjamin Netanyahu, Bezalel Smutrich // Photo: Dudi Waknin, Oren Ben Hakun
No boycott: Despite Minister of Transport Bezalel Smutrich's refusal of Netanyahu's proposal, which wants to mediate between him and Minister of Education Rafi Peretz, Wednesday "Israel Today" learned that Smutrich and Netanyahu met twice yesterday. During one of the meetings, Netanyahu presented Smutrich with a snapshot from the polls that the only way to obtain 61 seats in the right-wing camp is to join the right-wing parties: the new right, the Jewish home, the national union and Jewish power, to one list.
Recall yesterday that Smutrich refused Netanyahu's proposal to join Peretz and Rabbi Druckman for a meeting between the two, saying that "he and Rabbi Peretz are capable of getting along on their own." Sources around the minister even added that "Netanyahu should not interfere in religious Zionism." However, it was now learned that the two ended up with four eyes, twice, and discussed the possibility of connections on the right.
The Jewish House and Jewish power agreed on a joint run in the elections
It should be noted that between Rabbi Peretz and Smutrich there are also differences in attitude regarding the prime minister. Rabbi Peretz is a clear supporter of Netanyahu and the two are cooperating with piety. Netanyahu and Smutrich, on the other hand, have a number of issues.
Religious Zionism is trying to find the ideal composition in the run-up to the elections, after both the April 2019 and September 2019 elections, many votes in the sector were lost following voting for parties that did not pass the blockade, even though in April elections, the lists wanted a more liberal composition led by the defense minister And Ayelet Shaked, and another party led by Peretz and Smutrich, and in September 2019 in a joint four-person party. There is currently no contact between Smutrich and Peretz.
If there is no unification between the parties, as it appears at present, the right-wing parties may run again on two main lists, this time together with Peretz, Jewish Power Chairman Itamar Ben Gvir will run, and Smutrich will be reunited with Bennett and Shaked. Former Identity Leader Moshe Feiglin, but if one of the parties does not pass the blockade, it will make it difficult for the right to form a government in the Knesset - and thus Netanyahu is trying to create a unification between the parties.