Ben-Gvir Looking Forward to a Cabinet Post

By Yisrael Price

YERUSHALAYIM – Following the agreement to form a right-wing unity slate with Betzalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party, far-right Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir told Israeli media that the electoral outcome will depend on them and he expects to have a ministerial role in the next Netanyahu-led government.

“We hold the key to victory. If our list doesn’t reach 11 seats, Netanyahu has no chance of becoming prime minister. I can say that it depends on our voting body, if our voters want a fully right-wing government they’ll vote for us. If not, we’ll be small and weak, and we won’t form a right-wing government,” Ben-Gvir told North Radio 104.5 FM  on Sunday.

According to the polls, the two right-wing parties combined would win about 12 Knesset seats if elections were held now.

As for future job opportunities, he said that unlike former races, Netanyahu will not repeat his promise not to appoint the extreme right-winger to a cabinet post, despite widespread opposition to Ben-Gvir even among some on the right.

“If you ask Netanyahu today, he won’t say the same thing,” Ben-Gvir told Channel 12 news.

“Why does the left attack and besmirch me so much?” he asks rhetorically, continuing: “Because they know that when I’m there [in a position of power], the reality will be different.”

Ben-Gvir maintained that his difficulties with Smotrich were not personal but substantive.

“The story here is not a story of respect, it was important to me that Religious Zionism would open up, that its list wasn’t made up of just classic religious Zionists. I wanted the Galil and Sderot, and Netivot, and Ofakim, and I wanted young people and women.

“I wanted a diverse list and I got it. At this point, I can say: we are the home for all of you. It’s a matter of ‘come here because your home is with us, we have everything.’ When it’s like that I know we can last forever. You never heard anything bad from me about Smotrich, he’s a sharp individual, and we have a partnership. The argument was over opening up the party, but when the party opens up, so does the heart.”

Smotrich announced the deal: “I am happy to inform you that together with my friend Itamar Ben-Gvir we have reached an agreement on a joint run in the elections, for the sake of victory of the right-wing bloc, b’ezrat Hashem.”