Feiglin Explains Alliance with Smotrich, Urges Ofer Winter to Join

Moshe Feiglin, chairman of the Zehut party, discussed his party's political alliance with the Religious Zionism party in an interview with i24NEWS, stating the primary goal is to overcome the fear of failing to pass the electoral threshold. Feiglin described the arrangement as a "technical bloc" rather than a full merger, with Zehut candidates allocated spots on the joint list. He emphasized that this move addresses a major concern for his voters, who feared their votes would be wasted if Zehut didn't cross the 3.25% threshold.

Feiglin expressed hope that Ofer Winter, leader of the "Am Israel" party, would join their alliance, revealing that positions on the list have been reserved for him should he agree. However, Winter has publicly rejected the offer, stating that "Am Israel" represents something new and will not serve as a "shield" for other parties. Yosef Haddad from Winter's party affirmed that "Am Israel" will present a slate of new, clean, and dedicated individuals.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir welcomed the alliance between Smotrich and Feiglin, calling it the "right move" to ensure they pass the electoral threshold. Ben-Gvir also urged Winter to join them, arguing there is no room for separate runs by parties that might not pass the threshold.

The agreement, announced Tuesday, places Feiglin second on the joint list. Both Smotrich and Feiglin have stated the union aims to maximize the strength of the "national and faith-based camp" and is the first of potentially more collaborations. Feiglin believes that entering the Knesset as an independent bloc with several seats will grant them significant leverage in coalition negotiations, allowing them to set "red lines" and advocate for a new path, specifically mentioning preventing aid from reaching Hamas.