As right-wing parties struggle to unite, another political initiative is forming behind the scenes that may reshape the bloc.
Religious Zionist Party Chairman and Minister Bezalel Smotrich is negotiating with Zehut Party Chairman Moshe Feiglin on a joint run as part of a technical alliance in the upcoming elections.
According to a report by Amit Segal, as part of the emerging agreements, Feiglin is expected to be allotted the number 2 spot on the slate, which is considered viable, and will also receive the slate's eighth and tenth spots. That being said, the distribution of spots on the list has not been finalized.
The negotiations come amid the Religious Zionist Party's fear of not crossing the electoral threshold, especially after Ofer Winter entered politics, which, according to most polls, took away support from the party and caused it to drop to the brink of the threshold, or even below it.
Members of the Zehut Party believe that the electoral strength is currently equivalent to one Knesset seat. As far as Smotrich is concerned, adding Feiglin can help unite the ideological right and increase the party's chance of passing the threshold.
According to the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not directly involved in the negotiations, but was updated on their existence, and he supports the move in principle.
In 2019, the Zehut party, led by Feiglin, ran for the Knesset and received high support in polls, but on election day it remained outside the Knesset after failing to pass the electoral threshold. Smotrich and Feiglin declined to comment on the details of the talks, but confirmed that talks are underway regarding the possibility of unification ahead of the elections.