**Both Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit have explicitly ruled out a joint electoral list for Israel’s October 27, 2026, Knesset election.** In mid-August 2026 interviews and statements, Smotrich emphasized that the Religious Zionist public should contest the vote independently as a “big, strong, significant party” and described Ben-Gvir as unsuitable as a partner. Ben-Gvir has maintained the same position since at least June 2026, arguing the parties draw from fundamentally different voter bases—one more narrowly national-religious and the other broader across secular, traditional, and peripheral constituencies—and that “one plus one does not always equal two.” Polls reinforce the split: Otzma Yehudit consistently shows 8–10 seats while Religious Zionism hovers near or below the 3.25–3.5% threshold. Netanyahu has pressed for a technical merger to protect right-wing mandates, yet both leaders have rejected the idea, preferring independent runs they believe maximize overall bloc strength. Their 2022 joint list is now treated as a one-off arrangement, with recent public positions and party preparations confirming separate slates as the operative plan. Trader consensus at 92.5% “No” reflects these repeated, unambiguous declarations and the absence of any credible reversal in the weeks before candidate lists close.