Netanyahu's Likud, Smotrich's RZP sign surplus-vote agreement ahead of elections
Likud signed a surplus vote agreement with Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party, while Otzma Yehudit accused Netanyahu’s party of sidelining Ben-Gvir.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's parties, Likud and the Religious Zionist Party, have reached a surplus-vote-sharing agreement before the October 27 elections. The deal involves pooling surplus votes after the initial seat allocation. If the combined surplus meets the threshold for an additional Knesset seat, one party may receive it, potentially solidifying their bloc's influence.
However, the Religious Zionist Party is polling just above the threshold, at around five seats. Meanwhile, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's far-right Otzma Yehudit party has rejected the agreement, accusing Likud of attempting to form a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot, the leading opposition candidate. In September, the opposition bloc parties also signed surplus vote-sharing agreements to boost their chances of securing additional seats in the Knesset.
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