{
  "id": 5804315,
  "title": "Religious Right: Slowly but surely, Israel’s right-wing is becoming the religious bloc - opinion",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/religious-right-slowly-but-surely-israels-right-wing-is-becoming-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-05T17:58:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-907453"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In recent decades, a curious transformation has taken place within the Israeli Right. Despite consistently losing members, the Right has somehow maintained its size. Prominent figures like Ariel Sharon, Tzipi Livni, Ehud Olmert, Dan Meridor, Benny Begin, Moshe Ya'alon, Avigdor Liberman, and Gilad Erdan have all defected from the Likud party, moving away from what their party had become. This exodus has solidified the growth of a religious, messianic, and hostile bloc to the liberal norms upon which Israel was founded.\n\nThe demographic factor plays a significant role in this shift. Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Israelis have higher birth rates compared to secular Israelis, while religious Zionists also tend to have larger families. As a result, every election introduces new cohorts into the electorate, gradually altering the Right's composition. Consequently, with every religious child born, the Right becomes more religious.\n\nThe political landscape has also shifted in terms of voting patterns. Haredi Israelis overwhelmingly support haredi parties, while national-religious Israelis back the Right, particularly the religious-nationalist parties and Likud. Secular Israelis, on the other hand, tend to favor parties opposing Netanyahu. Religiosity, along with income and educational level, has become a potent predictor of an Israeli Jew's political allegiance.\n\nThis gradual change has made the stability of the Israeli Right somewhat illusory, as its size remains relatively constant while its composition changes drastically. The old secular nationalist Right is being replaced by one that is increasingly religious, messianic, and hostile to classical liberalism. This transformation is not only altering the character of the Right but also reshaping the Left, which is gradually becoming less dovish due to the influx of secular voters who once identified with the Right.\n\nThe emergence of this new religious and traditionalist bloc has significant implications, as it challenges the very foundations of Israeli society. Secular conservatives and liberals may fiercely debate issues such as taxes, settlements, and military strategy, but they inhabit a shared social universe. However, the struggle over whether religious law should shape public life reaches into the basic organization of society, posing an existential threat to democratic politics. A secular Israeli who advocates for public transportation on Shabbat, civil marriage, liberal education, gender equality, or universal military service faces a formidable challenge if electoral defeat reflects the numerical ascendancy of a population committed to a distinct religious ideology.",
  "summary": "The Israeli Right that formed them was largely secular, nationalist, and security-minded. The Israeli Right replacing it is increasingly religious and messianic.",
  "key_points": [
    "Right-wing in Israel increasingly religious, messianic, hostile to liberal norms",
    "Haredi and religious Zionist demographics drive shift in Right's composition",
    "Secular Israelis increasingly favor parties opposing Netanyahu"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}