As Israel’s political system increasingly shifts into election mode, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is reportedly working behind the scenes to engineer a renewed partnership between Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotrich, amid growing concern that Smotrich’s party may fail to clear the electoral threshold.

According to a report Tuesday evening by Channel 12 political analyst Amit Segal, Netanyahu fears that if Smotrich’s faction falls short of the minimum vote requirement, a significant number of right-wing votes could be lost, potentially costing the right-wing bloc its parliamentary majority and jeopardizing his ability to remain in power after the next election.

The report states that Netanyahu has been promoting a plan under which Ben Gvir and Smotrich would once again run together on a joint list, while receiving guaranteed spots for their representatives on the Likud slate.

According to Segal, Netanyahu has offered two reserved positions as part of the proposal, though the arrangement could come at the expense of places previously expected to be allocated to allies of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Under the reported plan, Sa’ar ally Ze’ev Elkin would have to compete for his place on the list rather than receive a guaranteed slot.

The proposal reportedly calls for what Netanyahu describes as a technical merger only, allowing Ben Gvir and Smotrich to campaign together in order to maximize right-wing votes while retaining the option of separating again after the election.

Under the framework being discussed, each party leader would receive a guaranteed placement within Likud’s broader electoral structure, while an additional representative from their camps would be included on the list of what is expected to remain the largest party in the right-wing bloc in the next Knesset.

The effort reflects mounting concern within the coalition over recent polling that has shown uncertainty regarding Smotrich’s ability to cross the electoral threshold on his own. Should his party fail to enter the Knesset, the loss of those votes could significantly damage the right-wing camp’s chances of forming the next government.

While neither Netanyahu, Ben Gvir, nor Smotrich has publicly confirmed the details of the reported proposal, the initiative highlights the increasingly intense political maneuvering taking place as parties begin positioning themselves for a potentially high-stakes election campaign.