Far-Right Leaders Smotrich and Feiglin Bury Hatchet for Political Alliance

Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir have officially announced a political and technical union with Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party. Despite past public spats and harsh rhetoric between the leaders, the alliance was presented with smiles and mutual praise.

However, the article details a history of significant animosity. Smotrich previously labeled Feiglin a "false messiah" and "unhinged," while Feiglin accused Smotrich and Ben-Gvir of "stealing horses" and lacking vision. Feiglin also claimed Smotrich and Ben-Gvir were "partners in the killing of our sons in Gaza," criticizing their policies during the conflict.

Feiglin's past criticisms included accusing the government, particularly right-wing coalition leaders, of lacking vision and merely "stealing horses" until the next crisis. He positioned Zehut as offering a broad national vision that the right had lacked, contrasting it with the Oslo Accords and its perceived negative outcomes.

Smotrich's past attacks on Feiglin, particularly during the April 2019 election cycle, were sharp. He questioned the sanity of Feiglin's supporters and criticized his focus on cannabis legalization, calling it a "false messiah" and a "golden calf" that would lead to increased drug use and a left-wing government.

Smotrich also accused Feiglin of misrepresenting his role in blocking a plan for Bedouin settlement in the Negev and running a campaign with unusually high funding without party financing. He warned that voting for Feiglin's Zehut party was effectively voting for the left, which would compromise Israeli identity and territory while legalizing drugs.