Ben Gvir rejects Netanyahu’s demand for merger with Smotrich, drawing sharp Likud response

Itamar Ben Gvir, leader of the Otzma Yehudit party, has rejected an invitation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to meet with Bezalel Smotrich to discuss an electoral merger. Netanyahu had proposed the meeting as a measure to "save the right-wing bloc." Following the rejection, the Likud party issued a scathing statement accusing Ben Gvir of "burning votes" for the sake of his own ego. These tensions highlight the ongoing difficulties in consolidating right-wing factions ahead of potential elections.