After joint run, Religious Zionism party splits into three factions

By Carrie Keller-Lynn and ToI Staff 20 November 2022, 2:03 pm

1 Edit

Otzma Yehudit head Itamar Ben Gvir (left) and Religious Zionism leader Bezalel Smotrich submit their joint electoral list to the Central Election Committee at the Knesset on September 14, 2022. (Arie Leib Abrams/Flash90)

The Knesset’s far-right faction splits into three individual parties, dividing the electoral alliance into its constituent parts.

While the unified party held 14 seats, now Religious Zionism holds 7, Otzma Yehudit 6, and the tiny Noam faction one seat, after the Knesset’s Arrangements Committee approved requests from Otzma Yehudit and Noam to split off from the larger party.

Party chief Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir vowed to negotiate their entry into the future government as a unit, but so far have been conducting separate coalition talks with prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu.