The President of the Otniel Yeshiva, Rabbi Benny Kalmanson, and other Zionist rabbis have been working recently to examine the possibility of forming a new right-wing party.
As part of the process, the rabbis have reached out to several right-wing figures to check the feasibility of the move and their willingness to participate in it.
Among the figures who were apparently approached were MK Yuli Edelstein, former Ambassador Gilad Erdan, and former Minister Ayelet Shaked. Speaking with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Rabbi Kalmanson, whose son Elchanan fell during the battles of October 7th, notes that he reached out to figures from the heart of the religious Zionist community, Hesder yeshiva deans and settlement leaders from across the country.
According to Rabbi Kalmanson, there is dissatisfaction with the actions of the party called "Religious Zionists." "Other rabbis and I are not happy with what is being done in the party that took the name 'Religious Zionists.' We are certainly examining other partnerships on the right and the hard right, with different approaches to military service and dependence on the haredi public, and various roles in the rabbinical world. We are certainly looking into the matter."
Rabbi Kalmanson noted that in the previous elections, he voted for the Religious Zionists, but says he is disappointed in the party's conduct. "We are disappointed, it's no secret," he stated.