Zehut party chairman Moshe Feiglin spoke to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News on Tuesday evening from party headquarters following the release of the exit polls. Feiglin expressed satisfaction with the projected results but also painted what he described as a troubling picture of Israel's political reality.
Feiglin characterized the election results as evidence of a severe political crisis that, in his view, reflects a deeper problem concerning national identity in Israeli society. He argued that attempts to establish a shared Israeli identity in place of Jewish identity had failed because the Arab population had maintained its distinct national identity.
According to Feiglin, Arab political parties have taken advantage of what he sees as the weakening of the state's Jewish identity to expand their influence over Israel's political system and decision-making institutions. He described the process as a hostile takeover of Israel's political arena and warned of its implications for the country's future.
Alongside his criticism, Feiglin presented Zehut as the answer to what he believes is an identity crisis exposed by the election. He noted that, according to the exit polls, Zehut is the only new party entering the Knesset, unlike the Democrats, which was formed through a merger of Labor and Meretz.
Feiglin explained that his party seeks to place a distinctly Jewish vision at the center of political life, based on the belief that Jewish identity should define the character of the state, while democracy should serve as its system of government.
He argued that strengthening Jewish identity would enable Israel to confront the political and national challenges it faces, particularly the growing influence of Arab parties.
Asked about the possibility of forming a right-wing government following the exit poll results, Feiglin declined to speculate about the prospects for establishing the next coalition.
He stressed that it was too early to engage in coalition calculations because the official election results had not yet been fully released. For now, he said, he preferred to focus on the broader public and ideological significance of the election.
According to Feiglin, the central question facing voters was not merely who would serve as the next prime minister, but also the national character of the State of Israel and the identity it seeks to embrace.
Toward the end of the interview, Feiglin was asked whether he intended to seek a ministerial position in the next government if the right-wing bloc secured a majority of 61 Knesset seats.
Feiglin made clear that his ambition is to serve as Defense Minister, a goal he had outlined even before the current election campaign.
He explained that Zehut's return to the political arena was intended to bring about a fundamental change in Israel's security policy rather than allow the continuation of the existing approach in the Gaza Strip.
Feiglin criticized the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza and what he views as Hamas's continued entrenchment there. He said his desire to lead the Defense Ministry stems from his determination to change Israel's approach to confronting the terrorist organization.
Feiglin concluded by emphasizing that, as far as he is concerned, participation in the next government would only be meaningful if it enabled his party to advance the ideological and security changes that motivated its return to politics.