Feiglin Forms Election Alliance, Criticizes War Strategy and October 7 Failures

Moshe Feiglin, head of the Zehut party, announced his intention to run in the upcoming elections as a technical bloc with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, despite past harsh remarks from Smotrich. Feiglin stated he is willing to forgive, citing the current "month of mercy and forgiveness" and understanding the pressures of political campaigns. He clarified that while Zehut and Smotrich's Religious Zionism party will be separate entities with distinct campaigns, they will operate as a united bloc for the elections, with each party going its own way afterward. Feiglin expressed confidence that Zehut would secure five Knesset seats and that the combined bloc would achieve a double-digit mandate count.

Feiglin sharply criticized the ongoing "Iron Swords" war campaign, explaining his opposition to hostage release deals, which he believes encourage further abductions. He suggested that hostages could have been returned within two weeks if Israel had completely cut off water to Gaza, proposing a "real siege" where water is only provided in exchange for hostages. He argued that Israel should have decisively defeated Gaza from the outset to prevent future attacks.

Regarding responsibility for the October 7 failures, Feiglin refused to place blame solely on the political leadership, stating that both left and right bear equal responsibility. He accused the left of enabling militants through the Oslo Accords and the right, which came to power in 1996 without revoking the accords, of also failing to prevent the massacre. Feiglin specifically criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu for transferring funds to Hamas, calling it a "terrible act," and noted that the subsequent governments under Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid continued this policy.

Feiglin expressed caution about a state investigative commission, agreeing with the Likud party that the Supreme Court (Bagatz) functions as a political party and should not be involved. He also addressed controversy surrounding his remarks on the LGBTQ+ community, asserting that Zehut champions personal freedom for all Israelis and questioning why "progressive coercion" is acceptable while advocating for a "Temple Mount month" would be labeled religious coercion. He concluded by stating that heterosexuals also have rights.