Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir has issued an ultimatum to Likud, demanding that the party decide immediately whether it will “release” MK Tally Gotliv and allow her to join his party ahead of the upcoming elections.
According to a report by Amit Segal, Ben Gvir told Likud, “If you are releasing Gotliv, do it today. Otherwise, I will have to inform the candidates of their positions on the list.” Likud had preferred to delay a decision until closer to the September 7-8 deadline for submitting candidate lists, while Ben Gvir wants to finalize his slate sooner.
The ultimatum follows several days of escalating tensions between Gotliv and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates. Gotliv finished 12th in the Likud primaries, but due to reserved slots and representation requirements, she is expected to fall to No. 20 on the party’s final Knesset slate. She has demanded that Netanyahu allow her to retain the 12th position, a request senior Likud officials said was rejected.
The tensions began even before the primaries. According to Segal, internal polling presented to Netanyahu suggested that placing Gotliv high on the slate could cost Likud two to three mandates. Netanyahu reportedly described the findings as “concerning,” but said he would not interfere in the primaries and would leave the decision to party members. After the results, Gotliv accused Netanyahu’s associates of carrying out a “targeted elimination” against her politically.
The dispute intensified in recent days when Gotliv claimed in recordings from a closed event that Netanyahu was allegedly pursuing a pardon in exchange for abandoning the battle over the judicial system. Likud called the allegation “a complete lie without any basis.”
In an interview with Kol Barama Radio on Tuesday, Gotliv said Netanyahu had “stabbed me in the back,” adding that she had told him so directly. She has also openly signaled that she would consider moving to another party, particularly Otzma Yehudit, if she receives an offer that reflects what she views as her electoral strength.
The channel between Gotliv and Ben Gvir is already open. According to the report, Ben Gvir offered Gotliv the No. 2 position on the Otzma Yehudit slate before the Likud primaries, but she chose to remain with Likud. She is now reportedly being considered for a position within Otzma Yehudit’s top five, most likely the No. 4 slot.
Ben Gvir, however, does not want to proceed without clear approval from Netanyahu and has indicated that he will not move forward with bringing Gotliv into his party until the prime minister makes a decision regarding her future in Likud.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
