Otzma Yehudit runs solo in October election, seeks greater right-wing influence

Otzma Yehudit, known as “Jewish Power,” is running independently in the October 27 election under the leadership of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who hopes to translate his ministerial profile into more parliamentary seats. The party’s agenda focuses on heightened personal security, broader civilian firearm access, stricter penalties for terrorism and a rejection of Palestinian statehood, while also pushing for judicial reforms that would curb the Supreme Court’s power.

Its candidate list features Likud lawmaker Tally Gotliv and incumbent ministers Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Amichai Eliyahu and Limor Son Har-Melech, aiming to broaden appeal to secular and traditional voters. Recent polling shows Otzma Yehudit at roughly nine seats, a figure that could be pivotal in a fragmented Knesset where neither bloc can easily form a government. The party’s future coalition partners are expected to be Likud, the Religious Zionist-Zehut alliance, Shas and United Torah Judaism, with Ben-Gvir seeking key ministries such as Defense and Justice.