National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir contacted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this evening (Saturday night), following reports of talks for a union between Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin.
""Good week, Mr. Prime Minister. I was astonished by the reports that Smotrich and Feiglin, through your mediation, were conducting advanced negotiations for unification, and only in order to 'pressure Feiglin,' did you and Smotrich come out with a staged call for unity with me, the sole purpose of which is to lower Feiglin's demands," Ben-Gvir wrote.
He added: "It's okay to boycott events with my participation and be ashamed to be photographed with me, but is even the passionate call for unity a cynical game?! Mr. Prime Minister, it's worth reminding you: My name is Itamar Ben Gvir, not Benny Gantz.".
Political commentator Amit Segal wrote: "Ben Gvir is raising the stakes. By the way - Netanyahu did not know and was not involved in the talks.".
Yair Netanyahu responded while firing an APC: "A lie! Where exactly are these briefings coming from? Who is briefing? The only reason for wanting to unite in your technical bloc and Smotrich's (and also with Feiglin and Winter) is the desire not to waste right-wing votes on parties that will not pass the electoral threshold.".
""The danger that the right-wing bloc will not achieve 61 because of your refusal simply does not interest you! You don't care if a Yair Golan-Eizenkot-Muslim Brotherhood government is formed, as far as you are concerned, there is no problem with you sitting in the opposition, as long as you only know how to make Tik Tok videos. Under your tenure, and under Commissioner Evmenit, the Israel Police has finally become Kaplan's execution arm, with a policy of apartheid and persecution of the right.
""For 4 years under your tenure, the police allowed the left to block roads and cause anarchy on the streets of Israel, criminal offenses punishable by 3 years in prison. Under your tenure, the police continued to persecute right-wingers, and under your tenure, the police buried the Magistrate's affair and the plot about the Force of One Hundred.".
Deputy Minister Almog Cohen also joined the commotion: "A cynical game??? On the eve of the budget, you were going to bring down the government. If it weren't for me, who voted in favor against your instructions, you would have been in the opposition at best, or in the gulag at worst. Cease firing at the APC.".
He added: "You are not alone in the campaign. If you do not look at the good of the bloc, we will accept Mansour in the cabinet. The time has come for responsibility, Itamar.".
On Friday, Amit Segal reported that there are talks to unite between Religious Zionism led by Bezalel Smotrich and the Zehut party led by Moshe Feiglin, and that the talks are in advanced stages.
According to the report, if the move goes through, Feiglin is expected to receive second place on the list, as well as places 9 and 10, but things have not yet been fully finalized and there may of course be changes until the official announcement.
