What Does Rise of Conservative Parties Mean for Israel's Liberals?

A recent poll predicts that the Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party alliance will bag anywhere between 10 and 13 seats in Israel's Knesset. This rise in popularity is a worry for the country's liberals who believe that if these orthodox parties come to power, religion might get greater emphasis at the expense of the rights of minorities.

A Channel 13 poll showed recently that two religious parties - Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party - are gaining in popularity and their merger could potentially bring 10 to 13 seats out of the Knesset's 120, in the upcoming elections scheduled for 1 November.

Israel's liberal voters have already branded the two men leading these factions -- Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich -- radicals.

Smotrich has been repeatedly slammed for his homophobic comments, after he called gay couples "abnormal". Ben Gvir, who is 46, is often rebuked for his attitude towards Arabs and Palestinians as well as for having been involved while in his teens with the Kach movement, a right-wing party that was eventually outlawed in Israel. Both are considered racists.

Not That Radical?

But Yanki Farber, an Ultra-Orthodox journalist writing for one of Israel's leading news websites Be'Hadrei Haredim, says Israel's media largely exaggerates their so-called radicalism.

"Smotrich is a very mature person. Liberals don't like him because of his LGBT comments but he has already apologized for those".

"Ben-Gvir is a different story. Twenty years ago, he was on trial for giving out leaflets against the government and for supporting Rabbi Meir Kahane [the founder of a religious ideology known as Kahanism and the leader of the Kach movement] but he too has changed since then. He is noisy and fights everyone but all he is trying to do is to be popular," Farber added.

Until recently, Otzma Yehudit was unable to pass the 3.25 percent threshold to enter the Knesset. But after merging with Smotrich, Ben Gvir entered the chamber and the two are looking at a possible 13 seats - an unprecedented achievement for what's considered to be a radical nationalist movement.

Farber says that their success can be explained by the fact that, despite the dire security situation in Israel, the present government did nothing to curb the threat of terror that claimed the lives of 20 people since the beginning of the year. Another reason for their popularity, says the journalist, is hard work and persistence.

"These two do not sit in their office or just talk to the media. They work hard on the ground. Every time there was a terror attack, they went to the scene and talked to the people, while other politicians didn't even bother. So the public loves them."

Nothing to Worry About?

If that love is translated into a two-digit number of seats in the Knesset, it will increase the chances of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a com-back. And if that happens, claims the journalist, the possibility of Ben-Gvir and Smotrich getting key jobs at the governmental table cannot be ruled out.

In Israel, the media has already been fretting about what the repercussions of that scenario might be. Liberals have said that the rule of religious parties might change Israel's education system that puts an emphasis on mathematics, sciences and languages. It might also have an impact on the country's public transportation, on the opening of shops on the Sabbath and other religious holidays. And, finally, it might also create an irreversible damage to the international standing of Israel, primarily because of how the conservative government discriminates against Arabs and Palestinians.

Farber acknowledges that having the duo as part of the government will create a lot of headaches for Netanyahu. But he also believes that if they come to power Israel will not necessarily become any more religious and the liberties and the rights of Israel's seculars will not be curtailed.

"Nobody should worry about them coming to power. Israel will remain a liberal country," he adds.

"Education will not change. The liberals will study whatever they like. Transportation and the opening of shops on Shabbat will be determined by each municipality, just as now. The Palestinian issue will remain the same. Israel knows they don't want any peace, so a right-wing government will continue to isolate them by establishing ties with other Arab and Muslim states. Nothing will change".