Religious Zionism Party Unveils Candidates for Internal Elections, Featuring Smotrich’s Close Advisor

Two days after the Democratic Party primaries, the Religious Zionism party announced its candidate list for internal elections scheduled for the upcoming Sunday. The vote will be held among approximately 170 party central committee members, all aligned with party chairman Bezalel Smotrich. Ten candidates are running, with each member allowed to vote for five. Half of the candidates are current Knesset members, including Settlement and National Missions Minister Orit Strook, MKs Simcha Rothman, Michal Waldiger, Ohad Tal, and Tzvi Sukkot.

Notably, Immigration and Absorption Minister Ofir Sofer and MK Moshe Solomon have withdrawn from the party and will not participate in these internal elections; Sofer also announced he will not run in the next Knesset elections. Only two women, Waldiger and Strook, submitted candidacies, with no new female candidates joining the list. Zvika Mor, recently announced as joining the party, is not running but will be placed on the list through a reserved slot.

Smotrich has not introduced a moderate Religious Zionist voice to replace Sofer, raising questions about the party’s outreach to softer audiences. Incumbent MKs are expected to secure top positions, with Rothman and Strook likely to lead. Among the candidates, one of the most notable is Omer Rahamim, CEO of the Yesha Council and Smotrich’s longtime close advisor since his political debut. Rahamim previously served as an adviser to the Finance Minister on parliamentary affairs and is well-known in political circles for advancing Smotrich’s initiatives, especially in the Finance Committee and Treasury.

Rahamim is respected across party lines and has been active in Judea and Samaria advocacy alongside Smotrich. Recently, he co-sponsored a tax benefits law for the West Bank with MK Sukkot. Although raised in Kfar Saba, Rahamim is identified within the party with efforts to attract traditional voters from peripheral areas, including former Likud strongholds. Other non-MK candidates include less politically known but party-involved figures such as Petah Tikva Deputy Mayor Zvika Wishengrad, high-tech entrepreneur and youth immigration program CEO Natan Zaubman, Ra’anana Deputy Mayor Attorney Eitan Tam, and Haifa Torah group leader Rabbi Shmuel Sasson.