Far-right MK Itamar Ben-Gvir announced Monday that his Otzma Yehudit party will be running independently in the Nov. 1 Knesset election, meaning he has broken ties with Religious Zionist party leader MK Bezalel Smotrich.
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Ben-Gvir said, "I respect Smotrich's desire, but I tried every possible way of running on a joint ticket. Unfortunately, Smotrich didn't agree to my requests, even though I was very flexible.
"Therefore, I am announcing that the Otzma Yehudit party under my leadership will be making an independent run. It's time to offer a solution for many of Israel's citizens, and a strong right-wing government."
Speaking to i24NEWS last week, Ben-Gvir acknowledged factional tensions, saying "we have disputes... Some people want a more secular party. I want a party that will address all of Israel."
Asked why he, who is predicted to gain more seats in the polls, is not the head of the combined slate, Ben-Gvir responded: "I come here without an ego. I want to win. I want the people of Israel to win."
When asked about the electoral risks of splitting with the Religious Zionist party, Ben-Gvir said, "All the polls show that when we run separately, we reach additional sectors that didn't vote in the last election. So the split increased the chances of a victory for the Right."
Prior to Ben-Gvir's announcement, Smotrich said, "I have sadly learned about my friend Itamar's intention to announce that the Religious Zionist party will be splitting and [he will be] running independently."
Smotrich continued: "Itamar my friend, this is a serious mistake. The national camp can't allow itself to be split and factionalized and risk throwing away votes, as has happened more than once. You know, Itamar, we ran together in the last election and won enormous success."
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
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