With the deadline for submitting party lists to the Central Election Committee nearing, Thursday, August 1, 2019 at 10:00PM, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has stepped up the pressure to persuade the right-wing parties to merge under the United Right-Wing Party (URWP) umbrella headed by Ayelet Shaked.

At present, the New Right party headed by Shaked united with Bayit Yehudi, headed by Rabbi Rafi Perez. It was agreed that Shaked will head the new combined list.

In addition, Otzma Yehudit has united with the Noam party, and it appears the combined list will be headed by Itamar Ben-Gvir, followed by two Noam representatives; Eldad Rabinowitz and Yigal Canaan, followed by Baruch Marzel in the fourth slot and then Rabbi Dror Aryeh of Noam.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is pressuring the two united lists to merge under the list headed by Shaked, to maximize the right-wing votes in the hope of establishing a right-wing coalition government.

Ben-Gvir is continuing talks to unite with Shaked’s list, which would result in some candidates from Bayit Yehudi and Ichud Leumi moving a slot down the list. It is reported PM Netanyahu is constantly in touch with Shaked, Peretz and Betzalel Smotrich, seeking to persuade them to accommodate Otzma Yehudit.

The offer made to date would leave Ben-Gvir in the eighth slot, which he called “ridiculous” and “an insult”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)