Smotrich has previously called for an apartheid-style segregation between Jewish and Arab women in Israel’s maternity wards.
Ben-Gvir, on the other hand, has in the past called for disloyal politicians to be deported, along with any Palestinian who throws stones at security forces.
If elected, Netanyahu has not ruled out Ben-Gvir as a viable candidate for police minister.
Following the latest polls showing Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc one seat short of a majority, a video was posted on his social media channels showing him stacking 60 paper cups on top of his desk to resemble the bloc.
He says, “If [the one seat] doesn’t go to Likud, and if Yesh Atid is just one seat bigger than Likud, then Lapid will form the government,
He goes on to say that in that scenario, “all of us will be in the opposition” as he knocks the tower of cups over.
According to the Israeli Central Elections Committee, this election will potentially see 209,000 first-time voters who could not have a say in Israel’s last elections in March 2021.
Netanyahu is still facing 2019 indictments over bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, charges which he denies and calls a “rigged” political witch-hunt meant to keep him out of office.
