Religious Zionist Party

Israel Election 2026: What does Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party stand for?

"If I put this ballot in the box, what government, policies, and political reality am I helping create?"

(L-R) Religious Zionist Party (RZP) MK Simcha Rothman and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich shake hands at the RZP primaries ahead of the 2026 Israeli  election, in Jerusalem, July 26, 2026
The minister of national security Itamar Ben-Gvir

Eight ministers, lawmakers wanted to leave Netanyahu's Likud for Otzma Yehudit, Ben-Gvir reveals

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich speaks with 'Jerusalem Post' Editor in Chief Zvika Klein, August 12, 2026.

The secret Smotrich kept from his wife: Israel was going to war with Iran - interview

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

WATCH: 'I know how to act responsibly': Smotrich outlines election strategy, plan to draft haredim


Middle Israel: Smotrich’s crushing Knesset defeat exposes the finance minister's limits - opinion

Smotrich is a light-year away from the Israeli consensus. Why does a man who represents but a marginal, detached, and minuscule part of Israeli society sit on its national chest?

EVEN BEZALEL Smotrich’s rivals agree that he is a smart man who studies complex issues quickly and knows how to make decisions. Here, the finance minister leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on Monday.

Bennett addresses leaked recording controversy: 'Ben-Gvir has no place in my government'

The change from the recording's phrase "I do not boycott" to the X post "There is no place for him in my government" is not just a semantic change; it represents a shift in Bennett's stance.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett seen in an illustrative

Former PM Naftali Bennett won't boycott Ben-Gvir or Smotrich, leaked recordings reveal

In addition to saying he would not boycott the far-right ministers, Bennett was heard in the recordings describing Ben-Gvir as a "very unserious person" and Smotrich as "very combative."

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett attends a Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem, February 17, 2026

Knesset panel advances bill to expand rabbinical courts’ power over civil matters

Critics have warned of the bill's democratic implications, including those involving women's rights, which may deepen the rift between the haredi and secular communities.

THE RABBINICAL Court’s Division for Agunot in Jerusalem.

Finance Minister Smotrich says he won't educate his daughter to enlist in the IDF

The statement, made during a Religious Zionist Party Knesset press conference, comes as the government fast-tracks a haredi conscription bill.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich (RZP) speaks at a Religious Zionist Party press conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem on February 16, 2026.

Pro-Israel Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad weighs Knesset run, poll tests strength

Pro-Israel activist and IDF veteran Yoseph Haddad is contemplating a political party for Israel's next Knesset elections, with recent polls showing strong support, especially from Jewish voters.

Yoseph Haddad demonstrates against a rally marking the "Nakba" at Tel Aviv University, May 15, 2024; illustrative.

Trump one of best US presidents for Israel, majority of Israelis say - poll

According to the index's findings, 73% of Israelis rate Trump as a better-than-average US president in terms of Israel's interests, with 49% describing him as one of the best in history for Israel.

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a press conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, December 29, 2025.

Gaza logo sparks uproar as Lapid warns PA involvement is already underway

“If the Palestinian Authority enters Gaza, then the logo is also that of the Palestinian Authority,” Lapid said.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid speaking at the Knesset, Jerusalem, January 26, 2026.

2026 budget reading puts government at risk, after months of ideological sparring - analysis

If the vote is postponed, or if the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties choose not to support it and it falls, then for all intents and purposes the government will fall with it.

A PLENUM session at the Knesset.

Two protesters held outside Religious Zionist Party offices amid budget, cost-of-living tension

According to the group, the protesters went to confront faction head Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over rising prices and what they describe as misplaced government spending.

ISRAELI POLITICIAN Bezalel Smotrich is seen before President Donald Trump speaks to the Knesset, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem.