Skip to content
Party Matcher

Jewish National Front (registered party that submitted the Otzma Yehudit list)

Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben Gvir
Leader
Itamar Ben Gvir
List
Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben Gvir
Researched as of
October 7, 2026

Running on a joint list with Eretz Yisrael Shelanu (Our Land of Israel) as Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben Gvir.

Overview

What this party is. "Jewish National Front" (חזית יהודית לאומית, Hazit Yehudit Leumit) is the registered party name through which Otzma Yehudit ("Jewish Power"), led by Itamar Ben Gvir, runs for the Knesset. The Israel Democracy Institute (IDI), a non-partisan research institute, describes Jewish National Front as the organisational root of Otzma Yehudit: it was founded in 2004 by Baruch Marzel, ran in the 2006 election and did not pass the electoral threshold, ran in 2013 inside the "Otzma LeYisrael" list, and before the 2015 election changed its public name to Otzma Yehudit [3]. In this document "the party" and "Otzma Yehudit" refer to the same movement.

Ideology. According to the IDI, the party supports the idea of the whole Land of Israel (Israeli control of all the territory between the Jordan River and the sea) and applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria. The IDI lists among its initiatives the death penalty for terrorists, a national migration authority to remove "enemies of the state", looser open-fire rules for the security forces, bringing Jewish law ("Hebrew law") into the legal system, and having politicians choose Supreme Court judges [3]. For the 2026 election the party has put forward the death penalty, changes to prison conditions, wider gun licensing, and a plan to encourage Gaza residents to emigrate voluntarily as its main themes [8, 11].

Electoral history. In April 2019 the party ran inside the Union of Right-Wing Parties; that list won five seats, but Ben Gvir, at No. 7, did not enter the Knesset. It ran alone in September 2019 and in 2020 and did not pass the threshold. In 2021 it ran inside the Religious Zionism list, and Ben Gvir, at No. 3, was elected. In November 2022 it again ran inside the Religious Zionism list, which won 14 seats; six of them went to Otzma Yehudit representatives [3]. In the 2026 election Otzma Yehudit is running on its own list for the first time since 2020 [3].

Splitting from the 2022 joint list. Before the 2022 election the leaders of the Religious Zionism list said it was a technical bloc that might split after the vote [4]. On 20 November 2022 the Knesset's Arranging Committee approved splitting it into three factions: Religious Zionism (Bezalel Smotrich), Otzma Yehudit (Ben Gvir, six MKs) and Noam (Avi Maoz, one MK) [4, 5].

Current seats. The Otzma Yehudit faction was formed with six MKs in November 2022 [5], and in January 2025 it held six of the Knesset's 120 seats [10]. MK Tally Gotliv, who was elected for Likud and is No. 2 on the 2026 Otzma Yehudit list, has not been declared a defector from Likud: under a September 2026 agreement she remains bound by Likud faction discipline in Knesset votes until the 26th Knesset [7, 12]. (The Knesset website could not be reached during this research, so the faction's exact size on the research date could not be re-checked there.)

The 2026 list: joint filing, letters and partner. The candidate list "Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben Gvir" was filed with the Central Elections Committee (CEC) on 7 September 2026 on behalf of two registered parties: Jewish National Front and "Eretz Yisrael Shelanu – a united Jewish party for the wholeness of the Torah, the people and the land" (Our Land of Israel) [1]. Each candidate is listed as representing one of the two parties: No. 3 Yitzhak Wasserlauf and No. 6 Yitzhak Kroizer represent Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and the rest of the top candidates represent Jewish National Front [1]. The CEC approved the list on 27 September 2026 with the ballot letter ב (Bet). Ben Gvir's party and Naftali Bennett's party both asked for this letter, and the committee gave it to Otzma Yehudit [2].

Who the partner party is. Eretz Yisrael Shelanu was founded by Baruch Marzel and Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo, who announced it on 15 December 2008 [57]. In November 2022, when the Religious Zionism faction split, the IDI noted that two registered parties both represent Otzma Yehudit: Jewish National Front, headed by Ben Gvir, and Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, represented by Yitzhak Wasserlauf [4]. In other words, the "joint list" is made up of two registered parties of the same movement. No split between these two parties was found: in November 2022 they left the Religious Zionism faction together to form the Otzma Yehudit faction [4, 5].

Attempts to bar the list. On 24 September 2026 the CEC voted 19–10, with one abstention, to reject requests by The Democrats party and the Zulat Institute to disqualify the Otzma Yehudit list. The requests argued that the party negates Israel as a democratic state and incites to racism [71, 77]. The attorney general opposed disqualification: she called the evidence deeply troubling but said it did not meet the very high threshold for removing a whole party [71]. Separate requests by The Democrats to disqualify Ben Gvir and Gotliv individually had been dismissed by the CEC chairman, Justice Noam Sohlberg, on 14 September 2026, because they lacked the signatures of one-third of the committee's members [71]. On 4 October 2026 the High Court of Justice dismissed The Democrats' petition on procedural grounds: the Election Law did not give the party a right to appeal, the requests on Ben Gvir and Gotliv lacked the required signatures, and that part of the petition was filed too late. The court did not rule on the merits of the allegations [71].

Polling

Polling average: 6.3% (as of October 2, 2026). Source: Mean of 5 polls published 2026-09-28 to 2026-10-02

Polls included in the average
  • Lazar Research (led by Dr. Menachem Lazar) · Maariv · 2026-09-30–10-01 · 602 respondents · margin of error ±4.0% · published Oct 2, 2026
  • Next Data · Channel 14 (Arutz Achshav 14) · 2026-10-01 · 2145 respondents · margin of error ±2.1% · published Oct 1, 2026
  • Direct Polls (led by Tzuriel Sharon) · i24NEWS (Middle East News 24 Ltd.) · 2026-10-01 · 504 respondents · margin of error ±4.3% · published Oct 1, 2026
  • Maagar Mochot (led by Prof. Yitzhak Katz) · Channel 16 · 2026-09-29 · 550 respondents · margin of error ±4.2% · published Sep 29, 2026
  • Next Data · Channel 14 (Arutz Achshav 14) · 2026-09-28 · 573 respondents · margin of error ±4.1% · published Sep 28, 2026

Leadership and key candidates

The top of the list, as filed with the CEC on 7 September 2026 (updated 9 September 2026) [1]:

  1. Itamar Ben Gvir (Jewish National Front), party chairman.
  2. Tally (Revital) Gotliv (Jewish National Front).
  3. Yitzhak Shimon Wasserlauf (Eretz Yisrael Shelanu).
  4. Amichai Eliyahu (Jewish National Front).
  5. Limor Son Har-Melech (Jewish National Front).
  6. Yitzhak Kroizer (Eretz Yisrael Shelanu).
  7. Hanamel Dorfman (Jewish National Front).
  8. Yitzhak (Tzachi) Eliyahu; 9. Yosef Yitzhak Goldberger; 10. Itiel Yaakov Neiman; 11. Menachem David Bavli; 12. Yishai Yaakov Fleisher [1, 8].

Itamar Ben Gvir. A lawyer who became known as a defence attorney for Jews accused of violence against Palestinians, according to the Associated Press. The AP reports that as a teenager he was barred by the army from compulsory service because of his views, that he was a follower of Rabbi Meir Kahane, and that he was first elected to the Knesset in 2021 [9]. He has been Minister of National Security, the minister who oversees the police, since the government formed in late 2022 [3, 9]. He resigned from the government with the party's two other ministers on 19 January 2025 in protest at the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal [10], and the three returned to their posts about two months later, when fighting in Gaza resumed [3]. His criminal record is covered under Legal or ethical matters.

Tally Gotliv. A Likud MK in the 25th Knesset who agreed with Likud on 3 September 2026 to run with Otzma Yehudit without being declared a defector [12]. Wasserlauf gave up the No. 2 slot to her [7]. When she joined she said she had come "to keep the right-wing bloc" and to make sure the next government is right-wing "without looking toward Eisenkot" [7]. Otzma Yehudit has said it will ask for the Justice Ministry for her in the next government [32].

Yitzhak Wasserlauf. Minister for the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience. He resigned in January 2025 with Ben Gvir and returned to his post about two months later [3, 10]. In February 2023 the government widened his ministry to cover the Negev, the Galilee, mixed Jewish-Arab cities, the young settlements (communities not yet fully legalised) and threatened communities [54].

Amichai Eliyahu. Minister of Heritage [3]. On 5 November 2023 Prime Minister Netanyahu suspended him and barred him from cabinet meetings indefinitely, after Eliyahu suggested that dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza was within the realm of possibility. Eliyahu later said that "the statement about the atom [bomb] is metaphorical" [66].

Limor Son Har-Melech. An MK. Her husband, Shuli Har-Melech, was killed in a shooting attack on 29 August 2003, in which she was seriously wounded [68]. She initiated the Death Penalty for Terrorists bill, which became law in March 2026 [46].

Yitzhak Kroizer. In July 2023 he was chairman of the Otzma Yehudit faction in the Knesset. His father is the rabbi of Mitzpe Yericho. Kroizer served four years as a combat soldier in the IDF [67].

Hanamel Dorfman. Ben Gvir's chief of staff at the National Security Ministry. He announced his candidacy on 9 July 2026 [64]. The investigation in which he was questioned is covered under Legal or ethical matters.

Yishai Fleisher. International spokesman for the Jewish community of Hebron. He took the No. 12 slot after MK Zvika Fogel, chairman of the Knesset National Security Committee, decided not to run again [8, 6].

Positions on the issues

Gaza Strip policy

Summary. The party opposes the October 2025 ceasefire framework. It wants fighting against Hamas to resume until "total victory", and it supports organised voluntary emigration of Gaza residents and Jewish settlement in Gaza.

  • Action: At the government vote on the night of 9–10 October 2025 on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal, all Otzma Yehudit ministers voted against it. Ben Gvir's spokesperson said the party was not planning to leave the government at that stage [72, 15]. Aaj TV, citing The Times of Israel, reported that the meeting was delayed by about three hours over Ben Gvir's objections to the list of about 250 Palestinian security prisoners to be released [14].
  • Action: In January 2025 the party's three ministers resigned from the government over the earlier ceasefire and hostage deal [10]. They returned about two months later, when fighting in Gaza resumed [3].
  • Statement: At the cabinet meeting of 30 September 2025, Ben Gvir called the US plan "dangerous to Israel's security". He said it withdraws the IDF from operational control of Gaza, hands Israel's security to international forces, grants amnesty to Hamas members and contains "potential for a Palestinian state". He also asked "what about the emigration plan? what about annexation?" [13].
  • Formal commitment: On 3 September 2026 the party published "Disengagement 7/10", a plan to encourage Gaza residents to emigrate voluntarily. It sets targets of about 250,000 emigrants in the first year, 1.11 million within three years and about 1.86 million within seven years [11, 26]. Its 12 stated principles include departure only by choice, only to countries that agree to receive the emigrants, individual security screening, absorption packages for up to 24 months, and payments to receiving countries tied to actual absorption. It proposes an initial Israeli investment of NIS 10 billion and up to NIS 50 billion more in matching funds, conditional on international participation [26]. The party says it will demand a dedicated ministry for voluntary emigration as a condition in coalition talks [11, 26]. Ben Gvir pledged "to advance this plan... in the next term" [11].
  • Statement: At an October 2024 conference near the Gaza border, Ben Gvir said Israel "can renew the settlements in Gaza" and named Kfar Darom, Netzarim and Atzmona (communities evacuated in the 2005 disengagement). He called encouraging emigration "the most moral" solution, "not by coercion" [69].
  • Statement: After President Trump announced on 30 July 2026 that a deal had been reached for Hamas to disarm [16], Ben Gvir called the draft agreement "unacceptable to Israel". He said that ending targeted strikes on Hamas members would give it "the opportunity to organize the next massacre", and called for military operations in Gaza to continue and for Palestinians' departure from Gaza to be encouraged [70].
  • Context: As of August 2026, Hamas had not been disarmed and, according to Palestinian officials and aid agencies cited by NPR, Israel still controlled roughly 70% of Gaza. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israeli forces would not withdraw until Hamas was "genuinely disarmed" [16, 17].

Closest option(s): Go back to war, take control of Gaza, encourage voluntary emigration and allow Israeli communities in Gaza (resume-fighting-full-control).

Iran, Hezbollah and the region

Summary. The party opposes ceasefires and US-brokered deals with Lebanon and Iran that stop short of dismantling Hezbollah. It opposes any withdrawal from areas the IDF captured in southern Lebanon, and says Israel should be ready to refuse US requests.

  • Statement: On 4 June 2026, after Israel and Lebanon agreed to implement a US-brokered ceasefire, Ben Gvir called it "a serious mistake". He said Hezbollah had not left the area south of the Litani River and the Lebanese army could not enforce its removal. He wrote that the prime minister should have told President Trump that "Israel is a sovereign and independent state" and that "there are moments when one must know how to say 'no', even to the president of the United States" [19].
  • Statement: On 15 June 2026, reacting to the US–Iran agreement to end the war, Ben Gvir wrote that "Trump's agreement does not bind us... we are not party to this agreement". He added that Israel "must not settle for anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah" and "must not withdraw from a single inch" of territory the IDF captured in Lebanon [20].
  • Statement: At a Knesset press conference on 22 June 2026, Ben Gvir warned against "another weak ceasefire". He said "the State of Israel must be safe. If not, Beirut will look like Beit Hanoun", and that "years of measured responses, imaginary equations, and attempts to buy temporary quiet have not brought security" [21].
  • Statement: In October 2024 he said the party demands "total victory in the north, total victory in Gaza, total victory against Iran" [22].

Closest option(s): Keep attacking Iran, Hezbollah and their allies until they can no longer threaten Israel, with no deals in the meantime (military-pressure-until-threats-removed).

Judea and Samaria

Summary. The party supports the whole Land of Israel and applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria. It opposes a Palestinian state.

  • Formal commitment: According to the IDI, the party's ideology supports the whole Land of Israel and applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria [3].
  • Action: On 22 October 2025 a bill by Avi Maoz (Noam) to apply Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria passed a preliminary reading by 25–24. According to the Knesset's per-MK record, all six Otzma Yehudit MKs voting (Ben Gvir, Wasserlauf, Eliyahu, Son Har-Melech, Kroizer and Fogel) voted for it [25, 78]. Likud issued a statement calling the sovereignty bills "another provocation by the opposition". Ben Gvir called the Maoz bill "a historic bill", said he was "surprised that Netanyahu's position was against" it, and said he was "glad that we are making the government act as a right-wing government" [25].
  • Contradiction: The party's stated aim is applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea and Samaria [3], and on 22 January 2025, days after the party left the government, all six Otzma Yehudit MKs who voted, Ben Gvir among them, voted for a bill by Yisrael Beytenu chair Avigdor Liberman to apply Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, which was rejected by 56 to 32 [83, 10]. Yet on 31 December 2025, after the party had returned to the coalition, the five Otzma Yehudit MKs who voted (Eliyahu, Wasserlauf, Son Har-Melech, Fogel and Kroizer) voted against a bill to apply sovereignty to Beitar Illit, which was rejected by 45 to 8 with three MKs present but not voting [84]. It was an opposition bill, and the party voted with the coalition. No explanation by the party was found.
  • Change over time: Earlier, on 15 March 2023, the five Otzma Yehudit MKs who voted (Ben Gvir, Wasserlauf, Almog Cohen, Fogel and Kroizer) had voted, with the rest of the coalition, against the same Jordan Valley bill, which was rejected by 66 to 14 [82, 85]. Before the 2023 vote the Ministerial Committee for Legislation had decided that the coalition would not support the bill; replying for the government, Minister Orit Strock (Religious Zionism) called it a "trolling bill" and said "the whole coalition supports sovereignty. We will advance it at the appropriate time" [85]. The party's votes on this bill thus followed its place in or outside the coalition: against in 2023, for in January 2025. No dated Otzma Yehudit position on applying sovereignty from before this vote was found. The party's coalition agreement with Likud, signed on 28 December 2022, has no clause on applying sovereignty; the government guidelines annexed to it say the government "will advance and develop settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel", including Judea and Samaria [89].
  • Statement: On 6 September 2026 Ben Gvir said that a Palestinian state would be an existential threat. He said that "what happened on October 7 would pale in comparison to what could happen in Kfar Saba", and that he is "prepared to absorb sanctions and endure hardship to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state" [8].

Closest option(s): Make all of Judea and Samaria officially part of Israel and expand the settlements (full-sovereignty). No source opened for this research shows the party's position on dismantling the Palestinian Authority.

Judicial system

Summary. The party supports more power for elected officials over the courts and the attorney general. It has repeatedly demanded the dismissal of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, and for the next term it proposes changes to how judges are chosen and to the High Court's powers.

  • Formal commitment: The 2022 coalition agreement between Likud and Otzma Yehudit committed all coalition factions to support the justice minister's bills on relations between the branches of government. These include the method of choosing judges, a Basic Law: Legislation and an "override clause", which would let the Knesset re-enact a law the court struck down [27].
  • Action: On 16 December 2024, at the first reading of the 2025 state budget and its accompanying laws, Otzma Yehudit MKs abstained in the first vote and then voted against in the following votes, although the party was part of the coalition. On the Budget Law itself, which passed its first reading by 59–57, the Knesset record shows Ben Gvir, Wasserlauf, Almog Cohen, Son Har-Melech, Fogel and Kroizer voting against [30, 80]. Ben Gvir linked his opposition to the government's failure to dismiss the attorney general, saying "dismissing the attorney general is governance" [30, 29].
  • Action: On 4 August 2025 the government, of which the party's ministers were members, unanimously approved Justice Minister Yariv Levin's proposal to dismiss the attorney general. Supreme Court Deputy President Noam Sohlberg suspended the decision the same day [28].
  • Formal commitment: In a letter to Netanyahu on 20 July 2026, Ben Gvir wrote that "the initial threshold condition for Otzma Yehudit to enter the next government" is the immediate removal of the attorney general and the appointment of one "who does not rebel against the elected leadership". He also demanded an investigative committee with criminal investigative powers to examine her actions and those of her staff [31].
  • Formal commitment: On 22 September 2026 Ben Gvir and Gotliv presented the party's plan for the Justice Ministry [32]. It includes dismissing the attorney general when the government forms; Supreme Court candidates facing a hearing in the Knesset Constitution Committee and needing a two-thirds majority; restoring standing requirements (rules on who may petition the court); defining matters that are not subject to judicial review; abolishing the course used to screen judicial candidates; and ending the requirement for State Attorney approval before opening investigations into incitement, sedition and calls for disobedience [32].

Closest option(s): Give the government and the Knesset more power over the courts and stop the attorney general's opinions binding the government (continue-judicial-changes).

October 7 inquiry

Summary. The party opposes a state commission of inquiry whose members are picked by the President of the Supreme Court. It supports a "national" framework that excludes members of the legal system.

  • Statement: At the 16 November 2025 government meeting, where the government decided against a state commission of inquiry, Ben Gvir said the framework "must be national, without people from the legal system", because "those who sit on the bench are part of those being investigated" [38]. The government decided instead to promote a commission of inquiry whose composition would "reflect broad agreement among the public as far as possible" [38].
  • Context: The coalition bill that followed would set up a commission of six or seven members chosen by agreement between the coalition and the opposition with an 80-MK majority. Without agreement, the two sides would appoint members equally, and if the opposition did not appoint members, the Knesset Speaker would fill the places. Opposition parties announced in January 2026 that they would boycott the process [39].
  • Statement: At a Knesset House Committee hearing in June 2026, Tally Gotliv repeated her claims that treason took place during the October 7 attack [40]. (These are her claims. No official body cited in this research has found treason.)

Closest option(s): A commission picked through the Knesset, by agreement or split between government and opposition (commission-appointed-by-knesset-balance). The cited evidence is mainly statements, and the party's position on specific commission bills could not be confirmed from Knesset vote records.

Crime in Arab society

Summary. As the minister responsible for the police, Ben Gvir has pushed to bring in the Shin Bet (Israel's internal security service), to designate crime organisations as terror organisations, and to allow administrative detention (holding someone without trial). He has blamed local Arab leaders for part of the problem.

  • Action: On 15 July 2026 the government approved a plan, led by Netanyahu, Social Equality Minister May Golan and Ben Gvir, to bring the Shin Bet into the fight against crime organisations in Arab society [43]. About NIS 497 million was moved from the "550" five-year development plan for Arab society: about NIS 364 million for a Shin Bet unit against smuggling and weapons trafficking, and about NIS 132 million for a national police unit [44]. Ben Gvir wrote: "Now it's official – we're making history!" [43].
  • Action: On 19 October 2025 the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a bill by Otzma Yehudit MK Zvika Fogel. It would let the National Security Minister, with the Defence Minister's approval, declare a crime organisation a "terror organisation", allowing tools such as asset seizure, movement restrictions, longer detention and wide intelligence surveillance [42]. Ben Gvir said the new Shin Bet head had "adopted my position" [42].
  • Formal commitment: In June 2023 Otzma Yehudit published a bill that would let the National Security Minister approve renewable six-month administrative detentions for people considered a danger to the public, on the police commissioner's request and with the attorney general's or State Attorney's approval. Ben Gvir said he had asked the Shin Bet to investigate all murder cases in Arab society [41]. At the time he opposed using administrative detention against Jewish suspects [41].
  • Formal commitment: The coalition agreement committed to revising Government Decision 550 (the 2021 five-year plan for Arab society), with emphasis on personal security, law and order, and youth employment, and to changing how its funds are calculated [27].
  • Statement: In January 2026, after a mass protest in Sakhnin against crime, Ben Gvir said local Arab authorities "turn a blind eye to criminal activity" and try to restrict police action. He told them to "stop the hypocrisy" [45].
  • Context: According to JNS, deaths from violence within Arab communities rose in 2025, when 252 Arab citizens were killed [43].

Closest option(s): Extraordinary measures: bring in the Shin Bet and give the police a power to hold suspected crime bosses without trial (emergency-powers-shin-bet). The option text applies detention to "Arab or Jewish" suspects. In 2023 Ben Gvir opposed administrative detention for Jewish suspects [41], and his 2023 bill did not limit its scope by community.

Haredi military enlistment

Summary. The party says it supports military service but opposes coercing Haredi yeshiva students. It points to dedicated Haredi tracks in the police and Border Police. Its answer to a September 2026 Ynet survey of parties' enlistment plans did not mention sanctions.

  • Statement: On 28 October 2024 Ben Gvir said: "We believe in enlistment in the army, but not in coercion." He also said: "I don't think coercion will help; I haven't seen that forcing Haredim made a Haredi enlist." He said the first step should be benefits for reservists, and that he was opening police positions for Haredim [22, 23].
  • Statement: In a September 2026 Ynet survey of parties' enlistment plans, Ben Gvir said: "We have proven that it is possible to integrate Haredim into meaningful service... without harming their way of life." He described dedicated police and Border Police tracks with full observance of Shabbat, kashrut, prayer and Torah study, and a Haredi Border Police company called "Avnet". He also said: "I sat with rabbis, we removed barriers" [24]. The published Otzma Yehudit response did not mention sanctions or enlistment quotas [24].

Closest option(s): The evidence is mixed. The party's emphasis on agreement with rabbis and frameworks suited to Haredim is closest to gradual enlistment by agreement (gradual-targets-by-agreement), but no source shows the party supporting enlistment targets or funding cuts. Ben Gvir's statement against coercion of Haredim also partly matches voluntary-service-for-all, though he did not apply that to service in general.

Housing

Summary. No general housing-price platform was found. The party's documented actions focus on new communities in the Negev and Galilee through Wasserlauf's ministry, and on land grants for combat soldiers.

  • Action: In February 2023 the government expanded Wasserlauf's ministry into the Ministry for the Negev, Galilee and National Resilience. Its stated aims include "positive migration" and demographic growth in the Negev and Galilee, a young-settlement division, and a Beersheba metropolitan development authority [54].
  • Action: On 23 May 2023, the day before the budget vote, Otzma Yehudit demanded and received an extra NIS 250 million for the Negev and Galilee ministry for 2024. A July 2023 report by the Israel Real Estate Center counted 37 new rural communities being promoted in the Galilee and the Negev, some originating with earlier governments, in a drive it described as led by right-wing ministers, among them Wasserlauf [55].
  • Formal commitment: The 2022 coalition agreement between Likud and Otzma Yehudit, as tabled in the Knesset, provides for a government decision making Zionism "a value of first rank" with decisive weight in government policy, including in planning, tenders, exemptions and allocations, "with emphasis on the Negev and Galilee" and benefits for reservists [27].
  • Formal commitment: The coalition agreement asked the government to expand admissions committees (local boards that vet new residents) to community towns of up to 1,000 families. Under current law these apply only to communities of up to 400 households in the Negev and Galilee [27].
  • Formal commitment: The party's September 2026 plan for the Defence Ministry includes free land for combat soldiers [32].

Closest option(s): Develop areas outside the centre of the country (develop-periphery-and-transport), with land grants for combat soldiers as a form of direct help (direct-help-for-buyers). The evidence is limited.

Cost of living

No documented position found. Hebrew and English searches for the party's positions on food prices, VAT, imports, competition and cost-of-living policy found no platform, bill or statement on the general cost of living. Related items found: in December 2024 Ben Gvir raised police and prison-service salaries without an agreed budget source and voted against coalition budget laws until the Finance Ministry approved his demands [29]. The party's 2026 plan also calls for higher pay for soldiers [32]. These concern particular groups and do not set out a general cost-of-living policy.

Religion and state

Summary. Little party-specific evidence was found on marriage, conversion or Shabbat transport. The available evidence points toward a larger role for Jewish law and Jewish practice in public life, especially at the Temple Mount.

  • Formal commitment: The IDI lists bringing "Hebrew law" (Jewish law) into the legal system among the party's initiatives [3].
  • Formal commitment: The Likud–Otzma Yehudit coalition agreement provides for amending the anti-discrimination law so that cultural events and studies for Haredi and religious people may be held with gender separation, and so that residential communities may be formed on a religious basis [27].
  • Action: As minister in charge of the police, Ben Gvir has repeatedly said that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. Under the long-standing arrangement with Jordan, Jews had been barred from praying there. The Times of Israel reported that in the year before October 2025 police permitted Jewish worshippers to pray, and even prostrate themselves, in certain areas. In August 2025 Ben Gvir became the first government minister to pray there openly, and on 8 October 2025 he led prayers there [18].

Closest option(s): Give Jewish religious law a bigger role in how the state runs (strengthen-jewish-character). This is based on limited evidence. No documented party positions were found on civil marriage, conversion rules or public transport on Shabbat.

Other notable positions

Death penalty for terrorists

  • Formal commitment: The 2022 coalition agreement committed the coalition to pass a death-penalty-for-terrorists law before the 2023 budget [27].
  • Action: On 30 March 2026 the Knesset passed the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law, initiated by Otzma Yehudit MK Limor Son Har-Melech and promoted by Ben Gvir, by 62–48 (with one abstention) in its third reading. According to the Knesset record, all six Otzma Yehudit MKs who voted (Ben Gvir, Wasserlauf, Eliyahu, Son Har-Melech, Kroizer and Fogel) voted for it, as did Gotliv, then a Likud MK [46, 47, 81]. Jewish Insider reported that the party had conditioned its support for the state budget, approved earlier the same day, on the law's passage [48]. The law allows, and in some cases requires, courts to impose the death penalty on a terrorist who intentionally caused a person's death [47, 48]. In the version approved in committee on 24 March 2026, the sentence does not require the judges to agree unanimously, is carried out by hanging by the Israel Prison Service within 90 days, and cannot be pardoned [46]. In military courts in Judea and Samaria the law applies to non-Israeli residents; N12 reported that the committee first wanted the death penalty to be mandatory there, but the final text gives the court discretion to impose life imprisonment instead [47, 48]. In civilian courts it applies to those who "intentionally cause the death of a person with the aim of denying the existence of the State of Israel" [48]. The government may not free or exchange prisoners sentenced to death [48].
  • Context: Ben Gvir said after the vote: "We are making history" [47]. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the High Court against the law [47]. No ruling on the petitions was found as of 7 October 2026.

Voluntary emigration from Gaza

  • Formal commitment: The party's "Disengagement 7/10" plan (September 2026) and its demand for a dedicated emigration ministry are described under Gaza Strip policy [11, 26]. Yishai Fleisher (No. 12) described it as "a full plan that we've written out" [8].

Gun licensing and civilian readiness squads

  • Action: After 7 October 2023 Ben Gvir's ministry widened eligibility for private gun licences; dozens of communities were added to the list of eligible areas. In the following year about 188,000 licences were issued, out of about 365,000 applications [49]. The National Fraud Investigation Unit (Lahav 433) investigated whether some licences issued by temporary staff broke the criteria, and several people from Ben Gvir's office were questioned [49].
  • Formal commitment: For 2026 the party has campaigned on expanding firearm permits to set up "a thousand civilian readiness squads" across the country [8]. Yishai Fleisher (No. 12) has credited the party with getting "gun licenses for 200,000 Israelis" and opening "another 1,000 rapid-response teams"; these are party claims [8].

Police and the National Guard

  • Action: In December 2022 the coalition amended the Police Ordinance (Amendment 37) to set out the National Security Minister's powers over the police. On 2 January 2025 the High Court struck down by 5–4 the clause allowing the minister to set policy on investigations. It unanimously upheld the rest, stressing that the minister may set only general policy and may not intervene in operations [33].
  • Action: On 2 April 2023 the government approved Ben Gvir's proposal to set up a "National Guard" in his ministry for emergencies, nationalist crime, counter-terrorism and governance. It approved this despite the attorney general's objection and a letter from the police commissioner warning of duplication [50]. The coalition agreement also called for separating the Border Police from the police and placing it directly under the minister [27]. No source found confirms that this separation was carried out.
  • Formal commitment: The coalition agreement says the National Security Minister will review police open-fire rules and change them "as needed" [27].

Prisons and security prisoners

  • Action: Petitioners (the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Gisha) accused Ben Gvir and the Prison Service of cutting food rations for security prisoners. On 7 September 2025 the High Court ruled 2–1 that the state was not providing security prisoners with enough food for a "basic existence" and ordered it to do so. Ben Gvir criticised the ruling and said his ministry would continue to provide only "the most minimal conditions under the law" [51].
  • Context: The State Comptroller's 2026 special report found that, at the start of 2025, the Prison Service held about 23,400 prisoners, including about 10,000 security prisoners, against a capacity standard of 14,500 places. It also found a shortfall of 3,502 places for security prisoners [52].

Terror-related legislation

  • Action: On 7 November 2024 the Knesset passed, by 61–41 in the third reading, a law allowing the deportation of first-degree relatives of attackers who knew of the attack in advance and did not report it, or who expressed support or identification with it. The deportation would be to Gaza or elsewhere, for 7–15 years for citizens and 10–20 years for residents. All Otzma Yehudit MKs recorded in the vote, including Almog Cohen, voted for it [53, 79]. In October 2024 Ben Gvir described the bill as that of Otzma Yehudit MK Almog Cohen and said he expected it to pass [22]. He called its passage "a historic and important day for all citizens of Israel" [53].
  • Formal commitment: The coalition agreement included laws to ban flying PLO flags at state-funded institutions and to tax donations from foreign governments to Israeli organisations [27].

The IDF and soldiers

  • Formal commitment: In September 2026 the party said it would demand the Defence Ministry for Ben Gvir [32]. Its plan includes changing the IDF's rules of engagement, giving soldiers broader legal backing, raising soldiers' pay, giving free land to combat soldiers, replacing the IDF ethics code (which Ben Gvir called "Asa Kasher's progressive ethical code"), and opening elite units such as 8200 more widely to applicants from across the population [32].
  • Formal commitment: The coalition agreement committed to a law setting out the legal responsibility of soldiers acting in operations, under which an operational debriefing would come before decisions on criminal investigation [27].

The Negev and the Bedouin

  • Statement: On 8 May 2024, when the Israel Land Authority demolished dozens of unlicensed buildings in the Bedouin village of Wadi al-Khalil in the Negev, Ben Gvir said "the days when the Arab villages build wherever they want are over" and called it "an important step of sovereignty and governance" [56]. Fleisher (No. 12) has said the party "took down 10,000 houses that were illegally built in the Negev" [8]. That figure is a party claim and was not verified in an official source.
  • Action: See Housing for the Negev and Galilee ministry and new communities [54, 55].

Aliyah

  • Statement: Yishai Fleisher (No. 12) said he will work to make aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel) smoother and to give a voice to English-speaking and Russian-speaking immigrants. He said this has become "an imperative" because of rising antisemitism abroad [8].

Coalition stance

  • Statement (6 September 2026): Ben Gvir suggested that if Otzma Yehudit does not win 15 seats, Netanyahu could form a government with Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, and said he therefore wants Otzma Yehudit "to be large and strong" [8].
  • Statement (4 September 2026): Gotliv said she joined "to keep the right-wing bloc" and a right-wing government "without looking toward Eisenkot" [7].
  • Formal commitment (20 July 2026): Ben Gvir wrote to Netanyahu that dismissing the attorney general immediately when the government forms is "the initial threshold condition for Otzma Yehudit to enter the next government", and that "without this condition being met, we will not be able to join the government" [31].
  • Formal commitment (September 2026): The party will demand a ministry for voluntary emigration [11, 26], the Defence Ministry for Ben Gvir and the Justice Ministry for Gotliv [32]. Likud officials responded on 23 September 2026 that both ministries are core Likud portfolios that it does not intend to give up [32].
  • Statement (22 June 2026): Ben Gvir attacked opposition candidate Naftali Bennett by name, calling him "the fraud Bennett" [21]. No explicit 2026 statement was found that rules out sitting with named parties, beyond the conditions above.

Track record on coalition pledges:

  • Kept: Ben Gvir said he would resign if the January 2025 ceasefire and hostage deal was approved. The government approved it on 17–18 January 2025 over the votes of the three Otzma Yehudit ministers [74]. The party's ministers resigned on 19 January 2025 and returned about two months later, when fighting resumed [10, 3].
  • Kept in part: In December 2024 Ben Gvir conditioned his support for the 2025 budget on dismissing the attorney general. His faction voted against the budget laws at first reading on 16 December 2024, and he kept voting against coalition laws for a period [30, 29].
  • Contradiction: On 9 October 2025 Ben Gvir wrote: "If Hamas rule is not dismantled, or if they just tell us that it has been dismantled while in practice it continues to exist under another guise—Otzma Yehudit will dismantle the government" [73]. Reuters reported that he said he would vote to bring down the government if Hamas was not dismantled [15]. In August 2026 Hamas had not been disarmed and Netanyahu was still demanding its "genuine" disarmament [17], but the party stayed in government and Ben Gvir was still National Security Minister in September 2026 [8, 11].

Track record

The party has been in government since late 2022, apart from about two months in early 2025 [3, 10]. Comparing commitments with delivery:

Commitment Source What happened
Death penalty for terrorists before the 2023 budget Coalition agreement [27] Passed in March 2026, about three years later than the agreement set; a High Court petition is pending [47].
National Guard under the National Security Ministry Coalition agreement [27] The government approved its establishment in April 2023 [50]; no source found on its present operational status.
Wider powers for the minister over police Police Ordinance amendment, December 2022 [33] Mostly upheld; the clause on investigation policy was struck down in January 2025 [33].
More armed civilians and readiness squads Ministerial policy [49] About 188,000 licences issued in the year after October 2023 [49]; the party now campaigns for "a thousand civilian readiness squads" [8].
Shin Bet in the fight against Arab-society crime Ben Gvir's demand since 2023 [41] Government approved it in July 2026 [43, 44].
Crime organisations as terror organisations Fogel bill [42] Approved by the Ministerial Committee in October 2025 [42]; final passage not confirmed in sources found.
Deporting terrorists' relatives Otzma bills [22] Became law in November 2024 [53].
Firing the attorney general Repeated demand [29, 31] Government voted to dismiss her in August 2025; the High Court suspended the decision [28]. She remained in office in September 2026 [32].
Harsher prison conditions Ministerial policy [51] High Court ruled in September 2025 that food was below the legal minimum [51].
Extra budget for the Negev and Galilee ministry Party demand, May 2023 [55] NIS 250 million added for 2024 [55].
Gaza: "total victory", no deal that leaves Hamas Statements [13, 14] The government approved the October 2025 deal over the party's objection; the party remained in government [14, 15, 17].

High Court proceedings on the minister's conduct are described under Legal or ethical matters.

Itamar Ben Gvir: past convictions.

  • On 16 May 2004 the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court convicted Ben Gvir of supporting a terror organisation, over flyers referring to the outlawed Kach movement that were distributed at the Temple Mount on Tisha B'Av in 1999 [58, 75]. The conviction became final in November 2006, when the Supreme Court refused his request to file a further appeal. He was sentenced to three months of community service work [75].
  • In a later case the Magistrate's Court convicted him of several counts of supporting a terror organisation and incitement to racism, and acquitted him of others. On 17 September 2008 the Jerusalem District Court accepted his appeal on the charge relating to posters about Arab MKs, rejected the State's appeal, and set the sentence at 200 hours of community service and a 60-day suspended sentence [59]. The AP reports that he has been convicted eight times in total, for offences that include racism and supporting a terrorist organisation [9].
  • On 13 March 2012 the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court acquitted him of supporting a terror organisation in a case, filed in 2006, about Kach (a movement outlawed as a terror organisation) propaganda material allegedly kept in a flat he rented in 2002. The judge cited police failures in handling the evidence [60].

Itamar Ben Gvir: proceedings while minister.

  • High Court petitions to remove him (pending). Petitions ask the court to order Netanyahu to remove Ben Gvir from his post over alleged unlawful interference in police operations, appointments and investigations. In February 2026 the High Court issued an order nisi (an order to show cause) requiring Netanyahu to explain why he should not remove Ben Gvir as National Security Minister, and expanded the panel to nine justices. On 18 March 2026 the court accepted Netanyahu's request to postpone the hearing because of the war, moving it from 24 March to 15 April 2026 [37]. On 16 April 2026 the court issued interim orders: promotions of officers to the rank of tat-nitzav (brigadier-general) and above may be made only on the recommendation of the police senior command and with seven days' advance notice to the attorney general, and Ben Gvir was barred from speaking about the use of police force or about ongoing police investigations. The court also gave the parties' agreed set of principles the force of a binding judicial decision [35]. On 20 July 2026 the attorney general told the court that the factual basis requiring Netanyahu to consider dismissing Ben Gvir had "strengthened", and that some breaches of the principles also amounted to breaches of the interim order [34]. On 5 August 2026 Netanyahu and the government told the court there are no grounds for his dismissal [36]. No final ruling was found as of 12 October 2026.
  • Knesset Ethics Committee. On 23 June 2025 the committee reprimanded Ben Gvir and Tally Gotliv, among other MKs, for calling other MKs "terrorists" [61]. On 12 May 2026 the Ethics Committee found that Ben Gvir had breached the ethics rules by promoting a commercial body: he had shared a video in which he is seen spending time at an amusement park and praising it, which was also published on the park's own account. The committee imposed a remark (הערה) (decision 52/25) [90]. Status: decided.

Itamar Ben Gvir: sanctions by foreign governments. On 10 June 2025 the United Kingdom, together with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway, announced sanctions on Ben Gvir and on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The British government said the two were sanctioned "in their personal capacity" for "their repeated incitement of violence against Palestinian civilians" in Judea and Samaria [86]. These are official acts of foreign governments, not Israeli legal proceedings. Status: the UK's official sanctions list still listed Ben Gvir on 12 October 2026 (asset freeze, travel ban and director disqualification) [88]. The current status of the other four countries' measures was not checked. There is no Israeli proceeding.

The party's accounts: State Comptroller finding (February 2025). In his audit of Knesset factions' current accounts for 1 December 2022 – 31 December 2023, the State Comptroller found that three factions, among them the Jewish National Front and its partner Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, had not reported and paid on time to the Israel Tax Authority the 25% special tax they deducted from the pay of activists and workers in the 25th Knesset election campaign. The Jewish National Front paid about NIS 238,000 of this tax late. The Comptroller did not give it a positive report and withheld NIS 20,000 of its current funding [87]. This is a finding about the party's accounts, not about an individual. No later change to this finding was found.

Requests to disqualify the list. The CEC's rejection of the requests to disqualify the list (24 September 2026) and the High Court's dismissal of the petition (4 October 2026) are described under Overview [71, 77].

Tally Gotliv (No. 2). In May 2026 the attorney general indicted Gotliv for disclosing and publishing classified information in violation of the Shin Bet Law. The charge is that on 24 January 2024 she published a screenshot that included the full name of the partner of protest leader Shikma Bressler, who according to the indictment is a Shin Bet employee [40, 62]. The Knesset House Committee voted 11–3 to grant her immunity on 15 June 2026 [62]. The plenum approved immunity on 17 June 2026: 61–48 on the ground that the act was done in fulfilling her duties, and 62–48 on the ground that the indictment was filed in bad faith or with discrimination [63]. The Shin Bet employee petitioned the High Court against the immunity decision; no ruling on the petition was found as of 12 October 2026 [63]. Walla reported that in the next government's term the attorney general and the State Attorney's Office can file the indictment again, which would lead to a new immunity vote [63].

Hanamel Dorfman (No. 7). On 4 February 2025 Dorfman was questioned under caution by the Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID). He was suspected of trying to influence investigations of nationalist crime and of requesting police information he was not authorised to receive. His lawyer denied the suspicions [65, 64]. On 28 September 2025 the PIID said in an official statement that it had again questioned Dorfman under caution, on suspicion of offences relating to integrity in public service, following new findings [76]. No decision on the case (closure or indictment) was found as of 12 October 2026.

Limor Son Har-Melech (No. 5) – Knesset Ethics Committee. On 12 May 2026 the Ethics Committee found that Son Har-Melech had breached the ethics rules by taking part as a speaker in a fundraising event for Amiram Ben-Uliel, who was convicted of murdering members of the Dawabsheh family. The committee said that speaking at an event whose whole purpose is fundraising does not befit her standing as a Knesset member, and imposed a remark (הערה). She did not respond to the complaint (decision 52/25) [90]. Status: decided.

Searches covered court and Knesset reporting in Hebrew and English. No indictments, convictions or official inquiries were found for Wasserlauf, Eliyahu, Son Har-Melech or Kroizer. Eliyahu's November 2023 suspension from cabinet meetings, described under Leadership, was a decision by the prime minister, not a legal proceeding [66].

Sources

  1. עוצמה יהודית – רשימת המועמדים הוגשה מטעם מפלגת חזית יהודית לאומית ומטעם מפלגת ארץ ישראל שלנו (candidate-list page, 26th Knesset). Central Elections Committee (copy hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute), 2026-09-07 (updated 2026-09-09). https://www.idi.org.il/media/32332/%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%AA.pdf
  2. חודש לפני בחירות 2026: נחשפו האותיות שיחכו לכם בקלפי. ICE, 2026-09-27. https://www.ice.co.il/local-news/news/article/1131229
  3. עוצמה יהודית (party profile). Israel Democracy Institute, n.d. (accessed 2026-10-07). https://www.idi.org.il/policy/parties-and-elections/parties/otzma-yehudit/
  4. הציונות הדתית כמקרה מבחן: פיצולי הסיעות המהירים הם מהלומה נוספת לחוסר היציבות הפוליטי. Israel Democracy Institute, 2022-11-20. https://www.idi.org.il/articles/46501
  5. הוועדה המסדרת אישרה: מפלגת הציונות הדתית תתפצל לשלוש סיעות בכנסת. Walla News, 2022-11-20. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3541514
  6. MK Zvika Fogel says he won't run with Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-09-06. https://jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-907719
  7. בן גביר נתן לטלי גוטליב את המקום השני – ורמז על חיזוק אפשרי נוסף. Maariv, 2026-09-04. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/elections-2026/article-1362987
  8. Ben-Gvir unveils Otzma slate, welcomes Fleisher to Knesset run. JNS, 2026-09-08. https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/ben-gvir-unveils-otzma-slate-welcomes-fleisher-to-knesset-run
  9. Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir, the far-right minister who visited a contested Jerusalem holy site? Associated Press (via WSLS), 2024-07-18. https://www.wsls.com/news/2024/07/18/who-is-itamar-ben-gvir-the-far-right-minister-who-visited-a-contested-jerusalem-holy-site/
  10. Otzma Yehudit Party Quits Government In Protest Against Ceasefire. TPS – Tazpit Press Service, 2025-01-19. https://tps.co.il/articles/otzma-yehudit-party-quits-government-in-protest-against-ceasefire/
  11. Ben-Gvir unveils Gaza emigration plan, vows implementation after election. JNS, 2026-09-05. https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/ben-gvir-unveils-voluntary-gaza-emigration-plan-vows-implementation-after-election
  12. מבלי שתוכרז כ"פורשת": טלי גוטליב תעבור לעוצמה יהודית. Makor Rishon, 2026-09-03. https://www.makorrishon.co.il/news/politcal/article/367402
  13. בן גביר תקף: "ההסכם מסוכן לביטחון", נתניהו ניסה להרגיע. Walla News, 2025-09-30. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3784481
  14. Far-right Israeli ministers oppose Gaza ceasefire deal, warn against coalition collapse. Aaj English TV, 2025-10-10. https://english.aaj.tv/news/330438655/far-right-israeli-ministers-oppose-gaza-ceasefire-deal-warn-against-coalition-collapse
  15. Israeli cabinet ratifies Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal with Hamas. Reuters (via Daily Maverick), 2025-10-10. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-10-10-israeli-cabinet-ratifies-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-with-hamas/
  16. Trump claims deal reached for Hamas disarmament, Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza. Associated Press (via KTVU), 2026-07-30. https://www.ktvu.com/news/trump-claims-deal-reached-hamas-disarmament-israeli-military-withdrawal-from-gaza
  17. Netanyahu rejects Trump's Gaza Peace Plan, demands Hamas disarm first. NPR (via OPB), 2026-08-09. https://www.opb.org/article/2026/08/09/netanyahu-rejects-trumps-gaza-peace-plan/
  18. Ben Gvir boasts Israel is the 'victorious... landlord' of Temple Mount, leads prayers there. The Times of Israel, 2025-10-08. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-gvir-boasts-israel-victorious-on-temple-mount-leads-prayers-on-holy-site/
  19. Israel far-right minister Ben Gvir says ceasefire with Lebanon a 'serious mistake'. ARY News (AFP), 2026-06-04. https://arynews.tv/ben-gvir-says-ceasefire-with-lebanon-a-serious-mistake
  20. Accord de paix Iran-États-Unis – Un ministre israélien d'extrême droite critique l'accord Etats-Unis/Iran. La Libre Belgique (AFP), 2026-06-15. https://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/2026/06/15/accord-de-paix-iran-etats-unis-un-ministre-israelien-dextreme-droite-critique-laccord-etats-unisiran-G7K6JXIVOJCK7DD2YZGW5W77OE/
  21. Itamar Ben-Gvir warns against 'weak ceasefire' with Iran, Hezbollah at press conference. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-06-22. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-900183
  22. השר בן גביר: מאמינים בגיוס, אך לא בכפייה. Arutz Sheva, 2024-10-28. https://www.inn.co.il/news/651767
  23. בן גביר על גיוס חרדים: "כפייה לא תעזור". Ynet, 2024-10-28. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/bkhy6yaxye
  24. ביקשנו מכל המפלגות את התוכנית לסוגיית הגיוס. רק אחת לא ענתה. Ynet, 2026-09-16. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/elections2026/article/yokra14898966
  25. 'On the way to sovereignty': MKs react to preliminary passing of bill to annex Ma'aleh Adumim. The Jerusalem Post (via Yahoo News), 2025-10-23. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/way-sovereignty-mks-react-preliminary-064143316.html
  26. Otzma Yehudit announces Gaza emigration plan, calls for dedicated ministry. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-09-03. https://jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-907523
  27. ההסכם הקואליציוני בין סיעת הליכוד לבין סיעת עוצמה יהודית – ניתוח קשיים מרכזיים העולים מסעיפי ההסכם שהונח על שולחן הכנסת. Israel Democracy Institute, 2023-01-03. https://en.idi.org.il/media/19112/%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%95%D7%97-%D7%A7%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%96%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%A2%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%94%D7%A1%D7%9B%D7%9D-%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A6%D7%9E%D7%94-%D7%99%D7%94%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99%D7%AA.pdf
  28. הממשלה אישרה את הדחת היועמ"שית, שהגיבה: "ההחלטה ניתנה שלא כדין". Walla News, 2025-08-04. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3770614
  29. השרים שוב נגד היועמ"שית: "לשלוח אותה הביתה, יש רוב מוחלט. למה מחכים?". Ynet, 2024-12-29. https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/syoljichyx
  30. בן גביר וסיעתו הצביעו נגד: תקציב המדינה ל-2025 עבר בקריאה ראשונה. Maariv, 2024-12-16. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/law/article-1156672
  31. Itamar Ben-Gvir demands Attorney-General Baharav-Miara's dismissal to join Netanyahu's coalition. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-07-21. https://jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-903225
  32. Likud denies Otzma Yehudit's demand for Defense Ministry, Justice Ministry. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-09-23. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-909411
  33. בג"ץ ביטל את הסעיף ב"חוק בן גביר" שמאפשר לו להתערב בחקירות משטרה; שאר הסמכויות הותרו. Israel Hayom, 2025-01-02. https://www.israelhayom.co.il/news/law/article/17076672
  34. בהרב-מיארה: התחזקה התשתית המחייבת לשקול את הדחתו של בן-גביר. Bizportal (Takdin), 2026-07-20. https://www.bizportal.co.il/takdin/news/article/20036415
  35. פיקוח הדוק וצווים מגבילים: בג"ץ משרטט את גבולות הגזרה של השר בן גביר. JDN, 2026-04-16. https://www.jdn.co.il/news/2630885/
  36. נתניהו לבג"ץ: אין עילה להדיח את בן גביר – מינויו נעשה כדין. Walla News, 2026-08-05. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3858725
  37. בג"ץ הסכים לדחות את הדיון בפיטורי בן גביר לחודש אפריל. Maariv, 2026-03-18. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/law/article-1297989
  38. הממשלה החליטה: תוקם ועדת חקירה לא ממלכתית לאירועי 7 באוקטובר. N12, 2025-11-16. https://www.mako.co.il/news-politics/2025_q4/Article-30c4c6585fc8a91027.htm
  39. ועדת החקירה ל-7 באוקטובר: קצב החקיקה, הקרב מול בג"ץ – והחרם של האופוזיציה. Walla News, 2026-01-19. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3810025
  40. Tally Gotliv exposed Shin Bet agent, AG says at Knesset immunity hearing. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-06-09. https://jpost.com/israel-news/article-898897
  41. Far-right backs extending administrative detentions to crime in Arab communities. The Times of Israel, 2023-06-12. https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-backs-extending-administrative-detentions-to-arab-community-crime/
  42. השרים אישרו את חוק פוגל: בן גביר יוכל להגדיר ארגוני פשיעה כארגוני טרור. Walla News, 2025-10-19. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3788096
  43. Shin Bet to join fight against Israel's Arab-sector crime. JNS, 2026-07-16. https://www.jns.org/news/israel-news/shin-bet-to-join-fight-against-israels-arab-sector-crime
  44. Government approves Shin Bet entry into fight against crime in Arab society. Ynetnews, 2026-07-15. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ils4f4u2u
  45. Thousands protest rising crime in Arab sector, Ben-Gvir accuses leaders of 'fueling violence'. The Jerusalem Post (via Yahoo News), 2026-01-22. https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/thousands-protest-rising-crime-arab-194445371.html
  46. הצעת חוק עונש מוות למחבלים אושרה בוועדה בקריאה שנייה ושלישית. Walla News, 2026-03-24. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3826088
  47. ברוב של 62 תומכים מול 48 מתנגדים: אושר חוק עונש מוות למחבלים. N12, 2026-03-30. https://www.mako.co.il/news-politics/2026_q1/Article-388c1a8154f3d91026.htm
  48. Knesset approves death penalty for Palestinian terrorists convicted of murder. Jewish Insider, 2026-03-30. https://jewishinsider.com/2026/03/knesset-approves-death-penalty-palestinian-terrorists-ben-gvir/
  49. Looking at Ben-Gvir's gun reform in Israel. The Jerusalem Post, 2024-12-07. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-832321
  50. למרות התנגדות היועמ"שית: הממשלה אישרה את הקמת המשמר הלאומי. Makor Rishon, 2023-04-02. https://www.makorrishon.co.il/news/600419/
  51. Israel's top court rules prisoner food rations below legal standard. TPS (via ANI / The Tribune), 2025-09-07. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/world/israels-top-court-rules-prisoner-food-rations-below-legal-standard
  52. כליאה, שחרור והעמדה לדין של אסירים ביטחוניים בעקבות מלחמת חרבות ברזל – תקציר (special report summary). State Comptroller of Israel, 2026. https://library.mevaker.gov.il/sites/DigitalLibrary/Documents/2026/Security-Prisoners/2026-Security-Prisoners-Taktzir.docx
  53. Despite constitutional concerns, Knesset passes law on deporting terrorists' relatives. The Times of Israel, 2024-11-07. https://www.timesofisrael.com/despite-constitutional-concerns-knesset-passes-law-on-deporting-terrorists-relatives/
  54. הממשלה אישרה הקמת אגף ייעודי להתיישבות הצעירה במשרדו של וסרלאוף. Kipa, 2023-02-05. https://www.kipa.co.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%94%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%95%D7%AA/1151010-0/
  55. עשרות יישובים כפריים מקודמים בגליל ובנגב. Merkaz HaNadlan (Israel Real Estate Center), 2023-07-04. https://www.nadlancenter.co.il/article/7945
  56. איתמר בן גביר: "הסתיימו הימים שבכפרים הערבים בונים איפה שרוצים". Maariv, 2024-05-08. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/israel/Article-1097510
  57. Marzel, Rabbi Wolpo to run for Knesset. Ynetnews, 2008-12-15. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/3638884
  58. ביהמ"ש הרשיע את פעיל הימין, בן-גביר, בתמיכה בארגון טרור. Globes, 2004-05-16. https://www.globes.co.il/news/article.aspx?did=796986
  59. זיכוי נוסף לאיתמר בן גביר. Arutz Sheva, 2008-09-17. https://www.inn.co.il/news/179756
  60. בן גביר זוכה מעבירות הסתה בשל מחדלים משטרתיים. Walla News, 2012-03-13. https://news.walla.co.il/item/2516321
  61. שורת הצעדים נגד חברי הכנסת שהתבטאו בצורה חריגה כלפי כוחות הביטחון. N12, 2025-06-23. https://www.mako.co.il/news-politics/2025_q2/Article-81caa1d53fc9791027.htm
  62. Knesset panel votes for Tally Gotliv immunity in Shin Bet case. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-06-15. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-899465
  63. הכנסת אישרה סופית: לאחר שחשפה איש שב"כ – טלי גוטליב חסינה מדין פלילי. Walla News, 2026-06-17. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3846457
  64. חנמאל דורפמן יתמודד לכנסת מטעם מפלגת עוצמה יהודית. Walla News, 2026-07-09. https://news.walla.co.il/item/3852358
  65. אלה החשדות נגד חנמאל דורפמן – האיש הקרוב לבן גביר. Kikar HaShabbat, 2025-02-04. https://www.kikar.co.il/police/hananel-dorfman-investigation
  66. Netanyahu suspends minister after 'horrifying' suggestion to nuke Gaza. JNS (via The Jewish Chronicle), 2023-11-05. https://thejc.com/news/israel/netanyahu-suspends-minister-after-horrifying-suggestion-to-nuke-gaza-quakbwz8
  67. בנאום בכורה במליאת הכנסת: ח"כ קרויזר סיפר על האסון המשפחתי בו נהרגו שני אחיו. Arutz Sheva, 2023-07-19. https://www.inn.co.il/news/608243
  68. "עוד שלב בסגירת המעגל": לימור סון הר מלך מגיבה לחיסול רוצח בעלה. Maariv, 2024-05-27. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/israel/Article-1102202
  69. שרים בכירים וח"כים בכנס בעוטף: "לחדש את ההתיישבות בעזה". N12, 2024-10-21. https://www.mako.co.il/news-politics/2024_q4/Article-d4296bbc01fa291026.htm
  70. Strong reactions in Israel over draft agreement with Hamas, National Security Minister: Unacceptable, operations must continue. Balkanweb, 2026-07-31. https://www.balkanweb.com/en/Strong-reactions-in-Israel-over-draft-agreement-with-Hamas--Minister-of-National-Security--unacceptable--operations-must-continue/
  71. High Court of Justice rejects bid to bar Otzma Yehudit from running in election. The Jerusalem Post, 2026-10-04. https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-910555
  72. Ceasefire takes effect after Israeli gov't votes to approve Gaza deal. The Jerusalem Post, 2025-10-09. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-869883
  73. Netanyahu's right-wing partners laud hostages' return, though warn of deal's dangers. JNS, 2025-10-09. https://www.jns.org/israel-news/netanyahus-right-wing-partners-laud-hostages-return-though-warn-of-deals-dangers
  74. 24 שרים הצביעו בעד, 8 התנגדו: עסקת החטופים אושרה בממשלה. Ynet, 2025-01-17. https://www.ynet.co.il/article/bkglsnudjx
  75. בן גביר הורשע סופית בתמיכה בארגון טרור. Arutz Sheva, 2006-11-07. https://www.inn.co.il/news/156131
  76. החקירה במח"ש: חנמאל דורפמן מסרב לשתף פעולה - צו מעצר הוצא נגדו. Maariv, 2025-09-28. https://www.maariv.co.il/news/law/article-1236930
  77. Central Elections Committee rejects petitions to disqualify Otzma Yehudit. Ynetnews, 2026-09-24. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/u7q498e6r
  78. Plenum vote 44580: הצעת חוק החלת הריבונות של מדינת ישראל בחבלי יהודה והשומרון, התשפ"ה-2025 (preliminary reading; 25 for, 24 against, 1 present not voting). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-07, 2025-10-22. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/44580
  79. Plenum vote 42072: חוק גירוש משפחות מחבלים, התשפ"ה–2024 (third reading; 61 for, 41 against). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-07, 2024-11-07. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/42072
  80. Plenum vote 42370: חוק התקציב לשנת הכספים 2025 (first reading; 59 for, 57 against). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-07, 2024-12-16. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/42370
  81. Plenum vote 45858: חוק עונש מוות למחבלים, התשפ"ו-2026 (third reading; 62 for, 48 against, 1 abstention). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-07, 2026-03-30. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/45858
  82. Plenum vote 38405: הצעת חוק החלת הריבונות הישראלית על בקעת הירדן, התשפ"ג-2023 (preliminary reading; rejected, 14 for, 66 against). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-12, 2023-03-15. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/38405
  83. Plenum vote 42820: הצעת חוק החלת הריבונות הישראלית על בקעת הירדן, התשפ"ג-2023 (preliminary reading; rejected, 32 for, 56 against). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-12, 2025-01-22. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/42820
  84. Plenum vote 44992: הצעת חוק החלת ריבונות על ביתר עילית, התשפ"ו-2025 (preliminary reading; rejected, 8 for, 45 against, 3 present not voting). Knesset vote-details service (official per-MK record), accessed 2026-10-12, 2025-12-31. https://www.knesset.gov.il/WebSiteApi/knessetapi/Votes/GetVoteDetails/44992
  85. קואליציית נתניהו הפילה את החוק להחיל ריבונות בבקעה. Srugim, 2023-03-15. https://www.srugim.co.il/773889-%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%90%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%a6%d7%99%d7%99%d7%aa-%d7%a0%d7%aa%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%94%d7%95-%d7%94%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%90%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%97%d7%95%d7%a7-%d7%9c%d7%94%d7%97%d7%99%d7%9c-%d7%a8
  86. UK and partners unite to sanction ministers inciting West Bank violence (press release). UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 2025-06-10. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-partners-unite-to-sanction-ministers-inciting-west-bank-violence
  87. דוח על תוצאות ביקורת החשבונות השוטפים של הסיעות בכנסת העשרים וחמש לתקופה שבין 1.12.22 ל-31.12.23. State Comptroller of Israel, 2025-02. https://library.mevaker.gov.il/sites/DigitalLibrary/Documents/2025/2025-Knesset-25.docx
  88. UK Sanctions List (entry for Itamar Ben-Gvir, designated 10 June 2025 under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020). UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, accessed 2026-10-12. https://sanctionslist.fcdo.gov.uk/docs/UK-Sanctions-List.csv
  89. הסכם קואליציוני לכינון ממשלה לאומית בין סיעת הליכוד בכנסת ה-25 לבין סיעת עוצמה יהודית בכנסת ה-25 (signed coalition agreement with its annexes, scanned copy). Knesset, signed and tabled 28 December 2022 (accessed 12 October 2026). https://main.knesset.gov.il/mk/government/Documents/CA37-Otzma.pdf
  90. החלטה מס' 52/25: החלטת ועדת האתיקה בקובלנות שהוגשו בגין קידום גורמים מסחריים. Knesset Ethics Committee, 12 May 2026. https://main.knesset.gov.il/Activity/committees/Ethics/Decisions25/Decisions25-52.pdf

Information availability

Plenty of public information is available. The party has been in government since late 2022, has a Knesset record, a signed coalition agreement (analysed by the IDI), and extensive Hebrew and English news coverage of its ministers and MKs. Gaps in this document:

  • The Knesset's main website could not be reached during the original research. During the fact-check, four key plenum votes were checked against the Knesset's official per-MK vote records [78–81]. Other votes (for example on Gotliv's immunity) are described from news reports.
  • No published party platform document (מצע) was found. Formal commitments come from the coalition agreement, party-issued plans (the September 2026 emigration plan, the September 2026 Defence and Justice plans) and official letters.
  • No documented position was found on the general cost of living. Positions on civil marriage, conversion and Shabbat transport were also not found.
  • The size of the party's Knesset faction on the research date could not be re-checked on the Knesset website.