MK (Bayit Yehudi) Betzalel Smotrich, who holds the second place on the party’s lineup, issued a call to “all parties to the right of the Likud” to come together, to run under a united banner in the upcoming elections for 22nd Knesset, which is scheduled for September 17, 2019.

In an interview with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), Smotrich announce his plan, for all the right-wing parties to merge, but added that Ayelet Shaked, who left Bayit Yehudi to form the New Right party with Naftali Bennet, should not head the new United Right-Wing.

Bennet, the former head of Bayit Yehudi, and Shaked, the number two slot, left to form the New Right party which failed to cross the minimum electoral threshold and enter Knesset. They also left Bayit Yehudi with a staggering NIS 22 million dept.

In regarding to Shaked, he told Galei Tzahal that “she abandoned and crushed” the party, and her erroneous move had widespread consequences. He said if she wishes to return, such a move would be considered but added “I do not see any reason in the world why you should be number one”.

He expressed his hope that all the right-wing parties will join Bayit Yehudi and run together, citing Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party took a great gamble running alone in the last election, earning five seats, but blames Lieberman for fractionalizing the right wing.

Regarding Bennet, he has already announced his plans to run in the next election, “With or without Ayelet Shaked” in the upcoming election, and it has already been confirmed that he has met with Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party, towards a possible unity agreement with him.

Zehut was another party which did not pass the minimum electoral threshold in the last elections, and therefore, did not enter Knesset.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)