Full Breakdown
Smotrich and Feiglin Form Technical Bloc Ahead of October Election
9/2/2026, 12:38:55 AM
Core Alliance Formation
On September 1, 2026, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionist Party (RZP), and Moshe Feiglin, leader of the Zehut party, signed an agreement to run as a technical bloc in the upcoming October Knesset elections. The arrangement allows the two parties to present a joint list while retaining the option to split after entering the Knesset. Feiglin is expected to take the second spot on the list, pending any further alliances.
Background and Electoral Context
Both RZP and Zehut have struggled to clear Israel’s electoral threshold in recent polling, prompting a push to unite fragmented right-wing factions. The alliance is presented as a means to “preserve right-wing votes” and avoid the loss of seats that smaller parties have experienced. Reports indicate that Brigadier-General (res.) Ofer Winter, who recently launched the People of Israel party, could win five seats, a development that might push RZP below the threshold.
Official Statements & Responses
He added that issues such as security, settlement expansion, the judicial system, and preventing a Palestinian state are “at stake.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged voters not to support small right-wing parties, warning that vote splitting could jeopardize his bloc’s ability to form a government. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, publicly rejected a joint list with Smotrich, underscoring internal disagreements among the far-right.
Data and Projections
Polling cited in the reports suggests Winter’s People of Israel party could secure five Knesset seats, potentially drawing support away from RZP and threatening its ability to surpass the electoral threshold. By contrast, the Smotrich-Feiglin bloc aims to consolidate right-wing votes that might otherwise be fragmented across multiple small parties.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We are taking responsibility for the national camp, bringing forces together and ensuring that no right wing vote is lost,” — Bezalel Smotrich, finance minister
