Religious Zionist Party Pushes Annexation Agenda in Knesset Election

Background and Ongoing Conflict

The election campaign is taking place amid continuing Israeli attacks in Gaza and southern Lebanon. In the West Bank, settler violence has escalated, with recent olive-harvest attacks targeting Palestinian farmers, European diplomats, and American photojournalist Heidi Levine.

Smotrich's positions reflect a broader ideological current within Israel's religious nationalist movement, which views the West Bank as integral Israeli territory and opposes the existence of the Palestinian Authority. His September podcast remarks calling for war in the West Bank and the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority, which he described as a "terrorist authority," signal a significant escalation in rhetoric compared with previous campaigns.

Official Statements and Policy Proposals

"I think we need to go to war in Judea and Samaria, do there what we did in Gaza, dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is a terrorist authority," Smotrich said on a podcast in September.

The finance minister has also advocated for taking all of Gaza for what he described as "Zionist and security reasons." He further suggested that withholding food and water from Gaza's population until hostages were returned could be considered "just and moral."

What Lies Ahead

The Knesset election is scheduled for October 27, after which coalition negotiations will determine whether the Religious Zionist Party secures a place in the next government and how much influence its annexation and military agenda ultimately carries. Additional reporting and official confirmation of campaign developments are expected as voting approaches.