'Bennett, Peretz meet on new alliance for March elections'

Defense minister and education minister consider returning to joint run despite relatively poor showing in September 2019 union, which disbanded soon after the vote; Smotrich said mulling his own bid to lead right-wing bloc
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The head of the New Right Party, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett, met Thursday with the Jewish Home-Tkuma chairman, Education Minister Rafi Peretz, to discuss the option of running in a unified bloc in the March 2 elections, Israel's Channel 12 reported.
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  • Bennett formed New Right with former justice minister Ayelet Shaked in December 2018, after he left Jewish Home.
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    טקס חילופי שר החינוך במעמד נפתלי בנט ורפי פרץ
    טקס חילופי שר החינוך במעמד נפתלי בנט ורפי פרץ
    Naftali Bennett, left, and Rafi Peretz
    (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)
    The merger is expected to go ahead even though a similar agreement between parties to the right of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud during September 2019 elections yielded just seven Knesset seats.
    The April 2019 elections saw Bennett's New Right fail to win enough votes to pass the 3.25% threshold and make it into parliament.
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    הימין המאוחד
    הימין המאוחד
    L-R: Ayelet Shaked, Naftali Bennett, Bezalel Smotrich and Rafi Peretz
    In the September elections, however, the party joined forces with Jewish Home-Tkuma and National Union to form Yamina (rightwards) and won seven seats, three of which went to New Right when the alliance disbanded after the elections.
    On Wednesday, sources familiar with the matter told Channel 12 that Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the head of Jewish Home's partner Tkuma, is planning to lead his own joint bloc that would position itself to the right of the Likud.
    According to the sources, Smotrich is considering all options, including running as a bloc with New Right.
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    כינוס של ראשי מפלגות הימין
    כינוס של ראשי מפלגות הימין
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting with heads of the right-wing parties after the September 2019 elections
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week called on the heads of the right-wing parties to unite to run on a joint slate.
    “Two lists could fall under the threshold and bring about a left-wing government,” Netanyahu tweeted.
    The New Right replied: “We appreciate Netanyahu’s concern [but] we will continue on our mission.”
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