Religious Zionist and Zehut parties form joint list for Israel's Oct. 27 election
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former Likud MK Moshe Feiglin have united their parties, Religious Zionism and Zehut, on a combined ticket for the upcoming election.
Religious Zionism, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, and Zehut, founded by former Likud MP Moshe Feiglin, have merged for Israel's Oct. 27 parliamentary vote, forming a technical bloc that allows each party to retain its own structure after the election. The partnership blends Smotrich's focus on settlement growth in Judea and Samaria, Jewish education, and a judicial-reform agenda with Feiglin's libertarian economic policies and calls for a stronger Jewish national identity.
The joint slate places Smotrich at the top, followed by Feiglin, Settlements Minister Orit Strock, and judicial-reform advocate Simcha Rothman, among others. Both parties oppose a Palestinian state and seek to expand Israeli sovereignty, including proposals for annexing Gaza. Their platform also calls for reducing court oversight of legislation and altering the Supreme Court selection process. Recent polls average six seats, which could give the alliance leverage in forming a governing coalition, especially if larger blocs fall short of the 61-seat majority.
