This afternoon (Wednesday), the chairman of Otzma Yehudit, MK Itamar Ben-Gvir, talked about the rift between him and his friend Baruch Marzel, who in the last few days clarified that he and Dr. Michael Ben Ari are no longer members of Otzma Yehudit.
"I love Baruch Marzel deeply and respect him very much and will continue to respect him, and I have no bad word to say about him," said Ben-Gvir. "Baruch was disqualified unfairly [in 2015] by the Supreme Court and a great injustice was done to him. I know and cherish his activity, but I am not Rabbi Kahane, and the party does not continue the path of the Kach Movement."
Last night on the evening news on the public television channel, Kan 11, it was reported that the founders of "Otzma Yehudit", Michael Ben Ari and Baruch Marzel, claim that the chairman of the party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has moderated his positions, and may even lean a little to the left. The two turned to Rabbi Dov Lior, the spiritual leader of the party, and considered retiring and even starting a new movement.
Less than a week ago MK Bezalel Smotrich and MK Itamar Ben-Gvir signed an agreement between them. The conjoint list of their candidates to the Knesset will be compiled in a manner that gives them equal representation - and Smotrich will be placed at the head of it. Ben-Gvir will receive five places in the top ten, but places 3, 4, and 6 will go to Religious Zionism.