Israel Delays Decision on Registering Otzma Yehudit Offshoot Party Despite Shin Bet Support

The Israeli government has yet to make a final decision on registering the political party "Israel Jewish, Complete and Strong," associated with far-right figures Baruch Marzel and Michael Ben Ari, despite a new supportive opinion from Shin Bet chief David Zini. Zini submitted an updated legal opinion backing the party's registration, overturning previous reservations from his predecessor, Ronen Bar. However, the state requested additional clarifications from Shin Bet before adopting this stance.

A joint meeting involving Shin Bet, the Justice Ministry, and the party registrar led the state to seek an extension from the Supreme Court until July 26 to finalize its position. The party's registration request was initially filed over two years ago, and its approval could provide a platform for right-wing candidates like Marzel and possibly Ben Ari, who currently collaborates with Moshe Feiglin. No decision has been made yet on whether these figures will run under this party.

Attorney Yitzhak Bam, representing party founder Yehezkel Hasson, opposed the extension request, questioning the need for further meetings after the updated supportive opinion was submitted. He urged the court to compel the registrar to decide based on existing materials without further delay. The Supreme Court must now decide whether to grant the state more time or require an immediate ruling on the party's registration.

This case has drawn political attention due to its potential impact on the right-wing electoral landscape in Israel.