Right-Wing Parties Unite for Joint Knesset Run

Bezalel Smotrich, the Finance Minister and leader of the Religious Zionism party, and Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party, announced Tuesday they will run together in the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. Under the agreement, Feiglin will be placed second on the list, immediately after Smotrich, with other Zehut members receiving subsequent positions. The initial slate includes Orit Strock, Simcha Rothman, Zviacc Mor, Zvi Sukkot, and Ohad Tal in the top spots after Smotrich and Feiglin. Zehut's Yitzhak Zaga is slated for eighth place, followed by Omer Rachamim from Religious Zionism in ninth, and Zehut members Omer Patsiniash and Arkadi Motar in tenth and eleventh. Michal Waldiger is positioned twelfth, with Roy Kirshberg from Zehut at thirteenth.

Smotrich framed the alliance as a crucial step to prevent vote dilution within the right-wing bloc, emphasizing the critical nature of the upcoming elections for national security, settlement, the justice system, and preventing a Palestinian state. He stated the responsibility extends beyond one's own party to the entire bloc, necessitating a united front to maximize right-wing strength. Smotrich expressed pleasure at Feiglin's acceptance and noted that while differences exist, the primary goal is the victory of the national camp, hinting at further potential alliances.

Feiglin echoed the sentiment, asserting that Zehut's formation was driven by a need for a "new spirit" and a vision of freedom and victory. He pledged to his supporters that their votes would not be wasted and their values would be strongly represented. Feiglin described the joint run as a move to maximize the power of the national and faith-based camp, calling on the public to support the unified list to secure Israel's land, security, and human freedom.

The agreement is characterized as a technical bloc for the elections rather than a full merger. Efforts are underway to potentially include Ofer Winter, chairman of "Am Israel," though his stated reluctance to join forces with incumbent politicians may pose a challenge. This alliance follows the collapse of previous attempts to form a joint list between Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had publicly urged Smotrich and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir to unite, citing concerns over lost right-wing votes, but Ben-Gvir rejected the possibility.

Feiglin, 64, previously served as a Knesset member for the Likud from 2013 to 2015. After leaving Likud, he founded Zehut, which ran in the 2019 elections but failed to pass the electoral threshold. Zehut combines right-wing political stances with a libertarian economic outlook, advocating for cannabis legalization and reduced state economic intervention in past campaigns.