In one week from today, party lists must be submitted ahead of the Knesset elections. On the right-wing bloc, a large number of parties are running that won’t manage to pass the electoral threshold. The fear is that they’ll burn right-wing votes, bringing down the right’s rule and Netanyahu’s government along with it.

Just last week, former Brigade General Ofer Winter presented his own Knesset list, one that eats into right-wing votes and creates a scenario where Bezalel Smotrich’s party fails to pass the threshold — costing the Netanyahu bloc 4 seats in a possible coalition.

In response, the prime minister called on Smotrich over the weekend to unite with Itamar Ben Gvir to prevent votes from being thrown away — but Ben Gvir refused.

Today, Smotrich announced a merger between his party and for Likud member Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut party. The merger is meant to guarantee that Religious Zionism passes the threshold, boosting the right-wing bloc’s chances of winning the election.

In the week remaining before the list-submission deadline closes, more mergers within the right-wing bloc are expected, aimed at securing Netanyahu’s victory in the election.