From Bennett to Ben-Gvir: Religious Zionist Political Behavior in the 2019–2022 Elections

The 2022 elections saw the rise of the radical Religious Zionist party and the demise of the more moderate Jewish Home party. Drawing on both radical right and social movements literatures, this chapter highlights the growing role of issues of religion and state and how to engage with Israel's Jewish secular plurality as dividing the moderate and radical wings of Religious Zionism. The chapter then argues that one consequence of the political “wheeling and dealing” between these wings between 2019 and 2022 was the expansion of the spectrum of legitimate politics to include previously shunned fringe elements; a move which strengthens the radical wing in the long run. Using survey data from the Israel National Election Studies (INES), the chapter assesses the relative strength of the two wings of the Religious Zionist movement, explores the correlates of their support and probes reasons for the radical wing's electoral victory in 2022. It concludes that the success of the radical wing in Religious Zionism reflects both an ideological shift among the Religious Zionist public alongside pragmatic voting considerations in the 2022 elections.