National Religious Party–Religious Zionism

The National Religious Party–Religious Zionism (), or Mafdal–Religious Zionism, is a far-right religious Zionist political party in Israel. The party was formed in August 2023, when the Religious Zionist Party and The Jewish Home parties agreed to merge. The merger is expected to give the former Religious Zionist Party a foothold at the municipal level, while The Jewish Home will be able to wield some power after not gaining any seats in the 2022 Israeli legislative election.

Background

Bezalel Smotrich defeated Uri Ariel in the Tkuma leadership election in January 2019.

After difficult negotiations, Tkuma, The Jewish Home, and Otzma Yehudit reached a deal to run in the April 2019 election as the Union of Right-Wing Parties (winning five seats in the Knesset). In June 2019, Otzma Yehudit accused The Jewish Home of not honoring their election pact, and left the alliance. The New Right (founded by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked after splitting from The Jewish Home in December 2018) had failed to pass the electoral threshold in the April 2019 election. Ahead of the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, The Jewish Home and Tkuma (running as the United Right) allied with the New Right, and called their joint list Yamina. Despite Otzma and The Jewish Home initially agreeing to run on a joint list called the United Jewish Home in preparation for the 2020 Israeli legislative election, Yamina was reformed, with Otzma Yehudit once again being left out.

Smotrich rebranded his party from National Union-Tkuma to the Religious Zionist Party on 7 January 2021. The following month, RZP, Otzma Yehudit, and Noam formed an electoral alliance, with all three parties winning six seats in the 2021 election on a joint list. The three parties ran together again in the 2022 election, with the RZP winning seven seats, Otzma Yehudit winning six seats, and Noam keeping its single seat.

Hagit Moshe was elected head of The Jewish Home on 19 January 2021 by the parties Central Committee, replacing former head Rafi Peretz. After failed negotiations with the RZP for the 2021 election, Moshe announced that the party would not run in the election, and instead supported Yamina and allowed them to use "ב", the traditional symbol of Mafdal and The Jewish Home. Shaked ended the brief alliance she had with Yoaz Hendel (called Zionist Spirit) prior to the 2022 election, reportedly over Hendel's unwillingness to serve alongside Benjamin Netanyahu in government, and instead headed the Yamina slate that ran under The Jewish Home name in the 2022 election. The Jewish Home did not clear the electoral threshold, and was left out of the Knesset.

There were ongoing talks between Moshe and Smotrich going back as far as May 2023 discussing a joint run. In August 2023 the parties announced that they were to unite under the name The National Religious Party — Religious Zionism, with Smotrich serving as the head of the united party. The Jewish Home central committee voted to dissolve the party on 20 August 2023.

Ideology

The National-Religious Party supports strengthening Israel's Jewish religious identity, and is opposed to any territorial concessions. The party advocates for "traditional family values", and opposes abortion rights and legalizing same-sex marriage. It also supports increased funding for Torah study and religious education.

Local elections

Moshe, the former head of The Jewish Home, led the party's Jerusalem list ahead of the 2024 Israeli municipal elections. The election was originally set to take place on 30 October 2023, but on 23 October, the Knesset pushed back the date until 30 January 2024, as a result of the Gaza war. The election was pushed back again on 31 December to 27 February. The party won two seats in the election.

Knesset members

Notes

References

{{Israeli political parties

Orthodox Jewish political parties
Political parties in Israel
Religious Zionist political parties in Israel
Political parties established in 2023
Right-wing politics in Israel
Far-right political parties in Israel
2023 in Israeli politics
2023 establishments in Israel
Bezalel Smotrich
Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in Israel