Ben-Gvir Says Netanyahu's Office Told Europe He Would Be Left Out of Next Government; Netanyahu Calls It "a Complete Lie"

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on Oct. 18 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office had told European governments that Ben-Gvir and his far-right Otzma Yehudit party would not be part of Israel's next government. Netanyahu and his Likud party denied the claim the same day. Netanyahu called it "a complete lie."

The dispute came nine days before Israel's Oct. 27 Knesset election. It now matters more: the vote count, completed on Oct. 29, left Netanyahu's bloc short of a majority. That has fueled talk of a unity government that might not include Ben-Gvir.

What Ben-Gvir said

Ben-Gvir made the claim at a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday, Oct. 18, as reported by The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel and Haaretz.

"According to verified and confirmed information that has reached me in recent days, the Prime Minister's Office has officially pledged to a number of countries in the European Union that Ben-Gvir will not be part of the next government," he said, according to the Jerusalem Post.

"A clear message was conveyed to those countries, whether to their foreign ministers or to officials at an even higher level, that the prime minister does not intend to include me in the next government," he added.

Ben-Gvir said he was "in shock" and "didn't understand where it came from," the Times of Israel reported. He did not name the countries or officials involved, and he did not publicly present documents or other evidence for the claim.

He also accused Likud of trying to "reduce Otzma Yehudit to five seats," which he said "directly endangers right-wing rule." He warned that right-wing voters might "stay home" if his party were weakened. According to the Times of Israel, he said people in Likud had told him Netanyahu wanted "to finish the term in consensus," which suggested a possible outreach to opposition parties. "Mr. Prime Minister — don't waste the effort. Don't count on the left in Israel," Ben-Gvir said.

The Instagram account Jewish Breaking News (@jewishbreakingnews) shared a clip of the remarks on Oct. 18. Its caption summarized Ben-Gvir as saying "this was an explicit message."

Netanyahu and Likud deny it

Likud answered in a statement quoted by Ynet and the Jerusalem Post. "Ben-Gvir continues with his false political spin and shooting from inside the armored personnel carrier," the party said. It said "the opposite is true," and that "the prime minister has made clear that any government will include the core partners of the current coalition, and that every Zionist party will be invited to join based on our guiding principles and the current coalition's composition."

Netanyahu also responded himself in a media interview, according to Haaretz and JFeed. "I think there's no greater absurdity than this. It's spin that he's pushing. It's simply a lie," he said. "This entire statement as if I said things to European governments, it's a complete lie. Enough with these spins." He said he would form the next government based on the existing coalition partners. He added that "someone is advising Itamar to shoot inward."

Haaretz reported that Netanyahu told the press he intends to form a coalition with Ben-Gvir's party after the election.

No news outlet reviewed by BJ Post has independently confirmed that any message of the kind Ben-Gvir described was sent to European officials. No EU government or official has publicly said it received one.

Campaign tensions between the parties

The exchange came after weeks of friction between Likud and Otzma Yehudit, both members of the outgoing coalition. The Jerusalem Post reported that the two parties had not signed a surplus-vote agreement. That is a deal that lets parties pool leftover votes when seats are allocated. Ben-Gvir had also declined Netanyahu's request to run on a joint list with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party.

Otzma Yehudit had also accused Likud of seeking a unity government with Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar! party. Ben-Gvir urged right-wing voters to back his party rather than Likud, while Netanyahu sought to concentrate the right-wing vote in Likud, JFeed reported.

The election result

Israel's Central Elections Committee said on Thursday, Oct. 29, that all votes had been counted, including double-envelope ballots from soldiers and diplomats, according to Globes and Ynet. The committee reported 5,589,836 votes cast, of which 5,564,764 were valid.

The seat distribution reported by both outlets:

• Likud: 27
• Yashar!: 21
• Together (B'Yachad): 12
• Joint List: 11
• Ra'am: 8
• The Democrats: 8
• Yisrael Beytenu: 7
• United Torah Judaism: 7
• Otzma Yehudit: 7
• Shas: 6
• Religious Zionism–Zehut: 6

That gives Netanyahu's bloc (Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism–Zehut) 53 seats. The Eisenkot-led bloc has 48 and the Arab-led parties 19. A majority in the 120-seat Knesset requires 61. The results are not yet final. The committee said official results will be published on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after additional integrity checks, Haaretz and Globes reported.

For Bukharian Jewish voters, the final count also settled one question. Shas finished with six seats, which leaves Rabbi Yosef Elnatanov, the Bukharian candidate placed 11th on the Shas list, outside the incoming Knesset, pending the official results on Nov. 4.

Coalition talk since the vote

Ben-Gvir addressed the issue again on election night. Speaking at his party's headquarters in Modiin, he said he had heard rumors "about a unity government with Eisenkot" and warned that it would be "a terrible mistake," the Times of Israel reported. The Jerusalem Post quoted him as calling such reports "exactly the scenario we warned against."

On Wednesday, Oct. 28, Netanyahu held his first post-election talks with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, Ynet reported. Citing Channel 14, the Times of Israel reported that Netanyahu told them, "We are together and we are staying together." Channel 14 also reported that Netanyahu said in closed-door discussions that he would not push out any current coalition partner to bring in new parties. Netanyahu has not said so publicly on the record.

On the other side, Eisenkot met Democrats leader Yair Golan on Thursday to discuss the results, and Golan met Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, Haaretz reported.

What comes next

After the official results are published, President Isaac Herzog will consult the Knesset factions. He will then assign the task of forming a government to the lawmaker he judges most likely to succeed. Until a new government is sworn in, Netanyahu remains prime minister.

As of Oct. 29, there is no public evidence that Netanyahu's office told European governments that Ben-Gvir would be excluded. Netanyahu has denied it and has publicly signaled that he intends to keep his current partners.

Original report: Jewish Breaking News (@jewishbreakingnews) on Instagram. BJ Post verified the remarks and responses against the sources below.

Source: Instagram, @jewishbreakingnews.

View the original post on Instagram

Sources

• Jewish Breaking News (@jewishbreakingnews), Instagram reel, Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DepLOU1AO1T/
• The Jerusalem Post, "Itamar Ben-Gvir claims Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to keep him out of Israel's next government," Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912085
• The Times of Israel, "Ben Gvir: PM promised European officials that I won't be part of next government": https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/ben-gvir-pm-promised-european-officials-that-i-wont-be-part-of-next-government/
• Haaretz, "Ben-Gvir Says Netanyahu Promised Europe His Exclusion From Next Government; PM Denies," Oct. 18, 2026: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-18/ty-article/.premium/netanyahu-rejects-ben-gvirs-claims-that-pm-vowed-too-keep-him-out-of-next-govt/000001a1-4fc2-df02-a7e9-cfffd1d80000
• Ynet, "Likud on Ben-Gvir's claim: False political spin, every Zionist party will be invited": https://www.ynetnews.com/article/7fmw78b52
• JFeed, "Netanyahu attacks Ben-Gvir over EU claims," Oct. 19, 2026: https://www.jfeed.com/news-israel/tn5obx
• The Times of Israel, "'A terrible mistake': Ben Gvir warns Netanyahu against notion of unity government with Eisenkot," Oct. 28, 2026: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/a-terrible-mistake-ben-gvir-warns-netanyahu-against-notion-of-unity-government-with-eisenkot/
• The Jerusalem Post, "Itamar Ben-Gvir, Smotrich's parties set to win combined 13 seats": https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-912954
• The Times of Israel, "Netanyahu speaks with Ben Gvir, Smotrich: 'We are together and we are staying together,'" Oct. 28, 2026: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/netanyahu-speaks-with-ben-gvir-smotrich-we-are-together-and-we-are-staying-together/
• Ynet, "Netanyahu opens coalition talks as opposition weighs bid to oust Knesset speaker": https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkre9ay6me
• Channel 14, "Netanyahu: Won't Drop Any Coalition Partner to Form Government": https://www.c14news.com/article/1517653
• Globes, "Count complete: Likud has 27 Knesset seats, Shas drops to 6," Oct. 29, 2026: https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-count-complete-likud-has-27-knesset-seats-shas-drops-to-6-1001561412
• Ynet, "All Votes Counted: Netanyahu Bloc With 53, Eisenkot 48, Arab Parties - 19": https://www.ynetnews.com/article/lzkcj5xqa
• Haaretz, Oct. 29, 2026 election liveblog: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-10-29/ty-article-live/seat-results-steady-as-elections-committee-begins-counting-absentee-ballots/000001a1-8567-d9b5-a3b5-cdf7e5cc0004?liveBlogItemId=2136036781