Israeli News
Bennett, Smotrich, and Shaked agree to joint run, call Rafi Peretz to join alliance
New Right and National Union to run on joint ticket in March election, call on Jewish Home to join alliance.
Arutz Sheva Staff
Published: Jan 14, 2020, 11:57 AM (GMT+2)
Updated: 12:35 PM
Naftali BennettBezalel SmotrichNew Right2020 Elections
Shaked, Bennett, and SmotrichFlash90
The New Right party of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked will run on a joint ticket with the National Union party, led by Bezalel Smotrich, in the March 2nd election.
The two factions reached an agreement Tuesday morning, after the National Union announced that talks Monday evening with the Jewish Home for a joint ticket had failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Just a day earlier, the New Right declared that it would run alone in the March 2nd election, after talks with the National Union hit an impasse.
Following a breakdown in talks between the National Union and the Jewish Home Monday night, however, Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich reopened negotiations with the New Right Tuesday morning.
Under the terms of the deal, the list will be headed by Naftali Bennett, followed by Ayelet Shaked, both of the New Right, while National Union chairman Smotrich will receive the third spot. The National Union will also receive the fourth spot for MK Ofir Soffer, with the fifth spot saved for New Right MK Matan Kahana. The New Right will also receive the sixth spot.
1. Defense Min. Naftali Bennett (New Right)
2. MK. Ayelet Shaked (New Right)
3. Transportation Min. Bezalel Smotrich (National Union)
4. MK. Ofir Soffer (National Union)
5. MK Matan Kahana (New Right)
6. (New Right)
The agreement signed Tuesday leaves the door open to the Jewish Home party joining the new alliance, with the second and eighth slots on an expanded joint list open for the Jewish Home.
Following the inking of the deal, the New Right and National Union called on the Jewish Home to join the united ticket.
"This is a big day," said Defense Minister Naftali Bennett. "We have reunited the family. We've made a large alliance in the ideological Right and in Religious Zionism – from the traditional [non-Orthodox] to the haredi-Zionists, from the knitted kippas to those without kippas, from Tel Aviv to Kedumim."
"I call on my friend, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, to join us immediately to form a single united party, for the victory of the national camp."
Former Justice Minister MK Ayelet Shaked echoed Bennett's call for the Jewish Home to join the new joint list.
"Bezalel Smotrich is our partner and ally. The alliance with him brings together all the streams of Religious Zionism and the secular ideological Right and ensures the formation of a stable and secure right-wing government. I call on the Jewish Home to join us."
Smotrich expressed optimism that the Jewish Home would join the united ticket "within the next few hours".
"For the last few weeks we've done everything possible to show true responsibility and achieve alliances that will bring real hope to the Religious Zionist voter and to the ideological Right. Serendipitously, we've now taken a big and important step in that direction, and God-willing, we will reach a complete union with the Jewish Home within the next few hours."
On Monday, the Jewish Home central committee ratified a deal between party chairman Rafi Peretz and Otzma Yehudit chief Itamar Ben-Gvir for a joint ticket, granting Otzma the third, sixth, and ninth spots on the Knesset slate.
All alliances and Knesset slates must be finalized by the Wednesday night registration deadline.