Likud Weighs Smotrich Slot as Religious Zionism Risks Threshold

Likud officials are weighing whether to reserve a Knesset-list slot for Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich if Religious Zionism keeps polling near the electoral threshold, according to same-day Israeli reports. The talks follow stalled efforts to reunite Smotrich's party with Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit, a move meant to keep right-wing votes from falling below 3.25% and weakening the governing bloc. Reports say the discussion is tied to Netanyahu's broader reserved-slot package, with final changes still possible before approval. The maneuver shows how Israel's campaign is turning on right-religious vote discipline, primaries and coalition math.