Religious Zionism and Zehut Parties Unite for Upcoming Elections

Bezalel Smotrich, leader of the Religious Zionism party, and Moshe Feiglin, head of the Zehut party, announced on Tuesday, September 1, that they will run together in the upcoming elections under a unified list. The primary goal of this alliance is to collectively overcome the electoral threshold. Under their agreement, Feiglin will secure the second position on Smotrich's Knesset list, along with spots 8, 10, and 11, which are currently considered less likely to be won. The parties have agreed that this union will be strictly "technical," with each party maintaining its own separate election campaigns. Post-election, they intend to negotiate coalition terms independently.

Avi Maoz, chairman of the Noam party, has also expressed willingness to join the bloc, though Smotrich's interest remains unclear. Despite Feiglin's secured second place, both he and Smotrich are keeping the option open to include Ofer Winter in the list. If Winter joins and agrees to a high placement, he would take the second spot, pushing Feiglin to third. Winter would also be entitled to additional positions within the top ten. However, under the current arrangement, Feiglin is guaranteed two spots in the top ten regardless.

The political landscape on the right remains uncertain with about a week and a half until the September 8-9 deadline for submitting election lists. Instead of the anticipated four right-wing slates, there are currently six. Prime Minister Netanyahu is concerned that this fragmentation could lead to a dispersal of votes and a loss of Knesset seats. A significant conflict exists between Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party. Ben-Gvir has firmly rejected merging with Smotrich or even meeting Netanyahu on the matter, as his party is confident in independently crossing the electoral threshold and aims to become a major independent force.

Another key figure is Ofer Winter, who recently introduced his new party, Amcha Yisrael. Polls suggest his party could win between 4 and 18 seats. While Winter has pledged to recommend Netanyahu for prime minister, he is resisting list mergers, positioning Amcha Yisrael as a distinct platform for disillusioned right-wing voters tired of political scandals. He is reportedly supported by Avigdor Lieberman of Yisrael Beiteinu, who criticizes Netanyahu for pressuring potential allies.

Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, according to polls, is hovering around or below the electoral threshold, which prompted his alliance with Feiglin. Together, they hope to secure a projected 5-6 seats for their bloc. The potential inclusion of Winter or Maoz is still under discussion. Meanwhile, smaller parties like The Democratic Camp, Labor-Gesher, and others are predicted to fall short of the electoral threshold and may withdraw their candidacies.