Israeli far-right lawmaker to run as independent for parliamentary elections
Aug 16, 2022
Jerusalem [Israel], August 16: Israeli ultra-nationalist lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir announced on Monday that he will run in a separate party in the parliamentary elections scheduled on Nov. 1.
Ben-Gvir said in a televised statement that he will run with his Otzma Yehudit ("Jewish Power") party.
Ben-Gvir was supposed to run with the Religious Zionist Party, another pro-settler far-right faction, headed by Bezalel Smotrich. However, after month-long negotiations, the two failed to reach an agreement.
Ben-Gvir, 46, was a member of Kach, an ultra-nationalist party that was outlawed in 1994 due to its anti-Arab ideology.
Recent polls suggest a close fight between the center-left bloc and the bloc of the supporters of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which is composed of right-wing and ultra-Orthodox parties.
Source: Xinhua
