Feiglin, Smotrich Unite Parties Amid Past Harsh Criticism

Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party, and Bezalel Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionism party and current Finance Minister, are expected to announce a merger of their parties on Tuesday evening. Despite the public show of unity, the two leaders have a history of sharp public criticism directed at each other.

Several years ago, Feiglin accused Smotrich of sitting in a party whose leader danced with soldiers involved in the destruction of Gush Katif, and of supporting a government that destroyed homes in Judea and Samaria, gave armored vehicles to Mahmoud Abbas, and lost a war. Feiglin also stated that Smotrich believed God took a vacation during elections, allowing him to use halakha (Jewish law) and Shulchan Aruch (a code of Jewish law) to secure his Knesset seat, while boasting of his religious observance.

Feiglin further questioned Smotrich's ideological consistency, asking if his own ideology had changed. He also criticized Smotrich for supporting a government that he claimed had destroyed homes in Judea and Samaria in the past month alone.

In the past, Smotrich also spoke harshly about Feiglin, calling him an irresponsible megalomaniac who acted like Steve Jobs in advertisements, during an interview on Radio Galey Israel.