From the Liveblog of
Sunday, July 26, 2026
Far-right Religious Zionism party opens internal election for Knesset slate
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
The far-right Religious Zionism party opens the internal vote for its Knesset slate ahead of the upcoming October 27 national election.
Ten candidates are competing for places on the party’s list, including incumbent Settlements Minister Orit Strock and MKs Simcha Rothman, Ohad Tal, Zvi Sukkot and Michal Woldiger.
Also seeking slots are Omer Rahamim, who serves as CEO of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization representing West Bank settlements, Rosh Haayin Deputy Mayor Eitan Tam, Petah Tikva Deputy Mayor Tzvika Weizengrad, Rabbi Shmuel Sasson, and Natan Zaubman, who heads a program for the absorption of French immigrants.
Voting is limited to members of the party’s central committee rather than its full membership. It does not include a race for party leader, as party chairman Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was reelected in a vote by the central committee last year.
Under the party’s rules, he also gets to reserve two spots in the top 10 of the party’s slate for candidates of his choosing and is expected to use one of them for Tzvika Mor, the father of former hostage Eitan Mor, who joined the party in May.
Voting is taking place at polling stations in Shoham and Jerusalem, while reservists and members granted special authorization may cast ballots remotely through a secure online system. Smotrich and party director general Yehuda Wald are expected to announce the results at 8 p.m.
Polls project the party to win just four or five Knesset seats, or fail to cross the threshold altogether, unless it mounts a joint campaign with fellow far-right party Otzma Yehudit, which it did in the 2022 election.
The Times of Israel Community.