Israeli Far-Right Fractures as Itamar Ben-Gvir Rejects Electoral Alliance with Bezalel Smotrich

Trouble is brewing on Israel's far right two months before an election, after hardline ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich failed to form an alliance between their parties. The two ministers, notorious for shocking remarks about their desire to subjugate Palestinians, had been urged to unite by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to avoid a split on the right.

Mr Smotrich signalled his Religious Zionism party would be open to a pact, stating it was time for unity in the nationalist camp. However, Mr Ben-Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, refused to enter into an alliance. Both parties serve as coalition allies of Mr Netanyahu's Likud party in what is considered the most right-wing government in Israeli history, a term that has seen a brutal military campaign in Gaza and expanded settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Accusing Mr Netanyahu of plotting to form an alliance with opposition figure Gadi Eisenkot, Mr Ben-Gvir vowed to do everything possible to prevent it and insisted Israel must maintain exclusively a right-wing government. This rejection drew sharp criticism from Mr Netanyahu and his party. In a statement, Likud argued that by refusing to unite with Mr Smotrich and risking tens of thousands of right-wing votes, Mr Ben-Gvir was effectively crowning a left-wing government.

Opinion polls indicate that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a difficult re-election battle ahead of the October 27 vote. As National Security Minister, Mr Ben-Gvir has championed the death penalty for Palestinian militants, publicly taunted detainees in Israeli jails, and recently suggested that Israel should kill 30 to 40 Gazans each night. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mr Smotrich has spearheaded the West Bank settlement expansion. Both politicians are settlers themselves and have faced international sanctions for incitement.

With Mr Eisenkot, a former military chief of staff, potentially emerging with a larger bloc in the Knesset to form a coalition, Mr Netanyahu's political survival remains uncertain, though he has historically weathered numerous crises. While opponents criticize his personal conduct and handling of ongoing conflicts, most leading opposition figures continue to support a hardline approach toward Iran and the Palestinian issue, with Mr Netanyahu remaining a firm opponent of Palestinian statehood and rejecting US-backed plans for Gaza's future.