Summary of the Zehut Party Platform

Immediately upon entering the Knesset, Zehut will insist on passing a law to change the official name of the State of Israel to “Israel: The State of the Jewish People.” Every person—Jew and non-Jew—living in Israel will enjoy equal civil and human rights, but national rights within its sovereign territory will be reserved exclusively for the Jewish People. Israel is not a state of all its nationalities; it is the state of the Jewish People alone.

The Zehut movement stands on two pillars that are in fact one: Identity and Liberty. One cannot exist without the other; only a people that knows who it is can grant full liberty to the individuals comprising it. These two pillars are extensively reflected throughout the party’s platform. While the pillar of liberty was emphasized more during the 2019 campaign, the horrors of October 7th have set the pillar of identity as the one that currently demands our primary attention. Therefore, the platform before you—based on the one we presented in 2019—includes important updates on various issues, and it is this platform on which we are running in the 2026 elections. The platform’s title, “Returning the Country to the People: Israel—Operating Instructions,” reflects this direction.

“This is the building that reflects the national home in the Land of Israel,” marveled Albert Einstein when he saw the model of the Temple. The Temple is security and it is poetry, it is the most national and the most universal, the most personal and the most public. The Temple is who we are—it is our purpose. When we deny it and allow ourselves to forget it, when we stop dreaming—we lose our nationhood and our claim to justice, we wander blindly in darkness, and we waste our time with gratuitous hatred.

The message of liberty for all humanity will not be realized by force. Just as God awakened a new spirit in us and from the ashes of the furnaces, we built a state, so too will the moment come when a different spirit will awaken within us and we will build the Temple—together.

Behind all the practical programs in this platform stands one deep source: the Temple—the supreme expression of Jewish sovereignty and identity, and of a universal message. Zehut seeks to lead a transition from a “Zionism of Survival,” whose only goal is to endure, to a “Zionism of Destiny”—knowing not only that we must survive as Jews, but knowing too what we are here for, and from that foundation carrying the message of liberty to all humanity.

The platform is a practical declaration of intent, designed to be implemented over several terms. It requires significant and stable political power, along with careful and responsible execution—the transfer of responsibility from the state to the citizen and the community, not the anarchic collapse of the state. Zehut’s goals are for Israel to have: a strong Jewish identity from which flows liberty for its citizens and residents, with minimal government interference in the lives of the individual; a state based on family and community; the abundance of a free economy; full sovereignty over the Land of Israel and Jerusalem; and peace through victory.

Reducing the number of government ministries from 31 to 11 will bring greater efficiency, better governance, and more freedom—while leaving more money in the citizen’s pocket. A leaner government enables the full cabinet to participate in substantive, in-depth discussion and balanced decision-making, and eliminates unnecessary ministries and areas of responsibility along with the bureaucracy and corruption that accompany them. The institution of the presidency will be abolished, and its few functions and powers will be transferred to existing bodies.

The state should minimize the use of its power over citizens, and every law should therefore be examined with the utmost caution to see whether it is in fact necessary. Over-legislation decreases liberty, gives unfair advantages to insiders, damages the economy, and even creates new arenas for organized crime. Zehut will vote against any bill that is not truly necessary, will work to repeal unnecessary and harmful laws, and will demand that a Treasury representative provide a cost assessment—in advance—for every proposed law.

Since the founding of the state, the institution of the local community has gradually disappeared, brushed aside in favor of the ideal of the “melting pot.” Zehut will return authority to local communities: municipal authorities will be divided into smaller communities, and some of the powers of the state and the local authority will be transferred to them. Each community will determine the character of its public space, including the nature of Shabbat observance at the community level, zoning regulations, and the appointment of the local police chief.

The balance of power between the branches of government has been violated in recent decades, ever since the court assumed the authority to invalidate laws, expanded the right of standing, and used the criteria of “reasonableness” and “proportionality” in a way unprecedented anywhere in the world. Zehut will restore the balance: Supreme Court justices will be elected directly by the public every ten years; the High Court of Justice will not be authorized to annul laws enacted by the Knesset; the “reasonableness” doctrine will be abolished; the right of standing will once more be given only to those who have been personally injured; and not everything will be judiciable. The Attorney General will serve solely as a legal advisor. This role will be separated from that of Chief Prosecutor, and he or she will be appointed, selected, and dismissed by the government, as it sees fit. A “Referendum Law” will be used to decide fundamental questions and resolve constitutional crises, and on far-reaching policy decisions, the public will decide directly.

National spending on education is high, but both student performance and parental satisfaction are low. Zehut will transfer responsibility for our children’s education from the Minister of Education back to parents by implementing a voucher system in education: Vouchers will be funded publicly from the same education budget currently in use, but they will be redeemed by parents, giving them the ability to exercise choice in their children’s education. (This system would be similar to the one currently implemented for expectant mothers, whose hospital care is publicly funded but who get to choose at which hospital they will give birth.) Schools will compete for students and enjoy administrative independence to provide quality and content that aligns with parents’ values. They will be able to shorten vacations and adapt them to the holidays in the Israeli economy and parental expectations, and teachers’ salaries will increase. The core curriculum will be reduced to include only the technical fields required by the economy. Choices of values will be left to the parents.

The family is the basic unit of society, and state interference in it should be a last resort only. Zehut will reduce government interference in family autonomy, promote economic independence for families, and ensure justice and fairness in family law—recognizing that the well-being of the child requires the significant presence of both parents in his or her life. Zehut will protect victims of domestic abuse, while at the same time acting decisively to prevent the injustice of false accusations.

According to the National Insurance Institute’s own estimates, it is heading toward collapse. National Insurance is not truly “insurance,” as it operates as a welfare system, most of whose functions would be better performed by the free market. It is also not “national,” since it encourages polygamy and the “import” of women from Gaza to the Arab sector, thereby generating a large income for criminals while endangering the state.

Zehut will encourage a shift toward private insurance, while National Insurance will serve as a safety net only in areas where the private market is unable to provide an adequate solution. Zehut will introduce innovation and efficiency into the welfare system, strengthen the rights of the elderly, and abolish the income supplement benefit, which punishes those who have worked and saved. No essential benefit will be denied to those who are entitled to it.

The COVID-19 period made it clear that a fundamental overhaul is needed in the relationship between the Israeli citizen and the healthcare system. The heads of the healthcare system and the government imposed lockdowns and forced vaccinations on the public while maintaining close and extensive contact with pharmaceutical companies and supranational organizations and demanding immunity from disclosure for decades. Zehut will ensure that they are investigated, and those who committed offenses will be dealt with to the full extent of the law.

Public health policy must be determined by the public’s representatives and not by bodies with agendas alien to the public. Therefore, Zehut will encourage Israel’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization. We will work to expand competition in the healthcare market and increase the patient freedom of choice. We will push for an increase in the quantity and quality of doctors, including by easing the absorption of immigrant physicians who meet appropriate medical standards. At the same time, we will end “affirmative action”—which is intended to integrate doctors from the Arab sector while lowering professional standards. Zehut will promote a rational and responsible policy for the regulation of cannabis use.

In order to protect freedom of expression, the state must be kept away from any involvement in the opinions expressed in the media or in broadcasting methods, except in cases where there is a real threat of harm to the lives of others. Zehut will promote open and free broadcasting for all, through licensing (paying a fee) rather than franchising (operating under external control). The only condition on content will be refraining from publishing what is prohibited by law. Public broadcasting and all state-owned media outlets will be closed or privatized, and the Second Authority for Television and Radio will be shut down.

The Jewish identity of the state will be expressed through freedom and choice, and not through coercion. Zehut’s approach is to reduce the state’s interference in the daily lives of citizens and their communities, while maintaining—in its official capacity—a clear national Jewish identity.

The principle that state institutions must observe halakha (Jewish law) is not a first step toward imposing halakha on the entire country. On the contrary, state institutions are observing halakha precisely because they are state institutions. If they were not state bodies, they would not be bound by it. Privatizing government companies and downsizing government bodies will leave decisions about their mode of operation in the hands of business owners. However, national and government bodies—such as the IDF—will continue to maintain a Jewish character and way of life (for example by operating on Shabbat only for operational needs and by serving kosher food).

Zehut considers the continued ingathering of Diaspora Jews to their homeland to be of paramount importance. However, today, the Law of Return sometimes serves as an economic incentive for conversion. Zehut will work to amend the Law of Return so that it better reflects the national-halakhic definition of Judaism, and if necessary, will favor a fully halakhic conversion process—but without unnecessary stringencies.

Zehut will work to revive the practical application of Jewish civil law, in its entirety, as a voluntary civil justice system operating in parallel with the existing system. This system will deal with civil law only, and it will operate only with the consent of both parties. Its status and rulings will be equivalent in validity to those of the state courts.

State funding of culture creates ideological coercion. Zehut will work to free culture from political control, so that funding will be determined by the public’s own choices. This will lead to the flourishing of an authentic culture that meets a need and has an audience.

Torah study is a founding national value. Zehut maintains that government funding of the humanities in Israel justifies the funding of yeshivas, and vice versa. The desired direction is a gradual and symmetrical reduction in the dependence of these institutions on government support. This will open the way for more independent, dignified, deep-rooted, and authentic Torah engagement and research in the humanities—for the benefit of us all.

At Zehut, we believe in a genuine free market. Less government, less bureaucracy, and the complete dismantling of the monopolies and excessive centralization that are strangling the economy. Israel has rare human capital and an extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit. Freeing the economy is the only way to realize this enormous potential and lead the country and its citizens to a future of prosperity and abundance.

Taxes should be simple and fair. Instead of complex tax laws that the average citizen can’t understand, Zehut will introduce a “flat tax”—a tax at a single, uniform rate, as low as possible—that will encourage initiative, drive economic growth, and reduce tax evasion and the shadow economy. At the same time, corporate taxation will be significantly, uniformly, and transparently reduced across the board for all types of companies.

Budgetary pensions are an allowance paid to the older generation by the young; Zehut will limit the scope of this privilege and the conditions for receiving it. The state must refrain from investing in the development of initiatives or granting benefits, incentives, or subsidies to companies whose customer is not the state itself. Waiting times for administrative procedures will be shortened, their associated costs will be reduced, and the administrative system will be streamlined. Regulatory requirements will be adapted to technologies entering the market, while striking a balance between protecting public safety and the impact on the cost of living and economic efficiency. Contracts will be enforced efficiently and quickly. We will work to facilitate imports, gradually eliminate customs duties and import quotas, and abolish production quotas in agriculture (eggs, milk, honey, etc.) and production councils. The state will dismantle the monopolies it created by granting excessive privileges to chosen parties, but will not interfere with entrepreneurs advancing freely.

Prosperity and well-being are not the product of an inflated government budget—quite the opposite. Alongside the liberalization of the market, fiscal responsibility will be exercised: curbing public spending and systematically reducing the national debt. This will ensure long-term economic stability and lighten the financial burden placed on the citizen.

The root of the housing crisis lies in the excessive centralization of the state (the Israel Land Authority), which holds a monopoly over land and the planning procedures. Zehut will break this monopoly: we will free up the land and distribute it directly to Israeli citizens, while at the same time transferring planning authority to the local and community levels and drastically cutting down on bureaucracy. Distributing land and removing planning barriers will lead to a sharp and immediate drop in housing prices, allowing young couples to purchase an apartment at a fair and reasonable price, while preparing to absorb the expected waves of immigration.

The transportation market in Israel is stuck due to suffocating government involvement and massive subsidies that ultimately come directly out of citizens’ pockets through taxes. Zehut will work to open the transportation market to full competition, drastically reduce government involvement, and encourage private operation of infrastructure and services. As part of this, we will remove barriers to shared-economy models such as “Uber,” and adopt autonomous vehicle networks as already exist in some states in the United States. Combining a free market with advanced technology will dramatically improve mobility, boost quality of service, and enable every citizen to reach any destination at a reasonable and fair price—without the state’s needing to subsidize it with the public’s own money.

Zehut views Judea and Samaria as an integral part of the Land of Israel and the heritage of the Jewish People. We will work to strengthen settlement and develop strategic infrastructure there, as part of applying sovereignty and ensuring the state’s strategic depth and security. Opening the housing market in Judea and Samaria will lead to a significant drop in housing prices throughout the country.

The proper attitude toward the Land of Israel begins with sovereignty as a matter of national responsibility and the Jewish people’s settling the land as we were commanded to. These are combined with responsibly stewarding the environment for the benefit of future generations. We at Zehut believe that the principle of “the poor of your city come first” applies here as well: caring for our immediate environment takes precedence over issues that do not directly concern our region, such as the “climate crisis.” Decisions about balancing environmental conservation and the exploitation of natural resources should remain at the level of the state or local authorities—not in the hands of unelected globalist bodies. Therefore, Zehut will work to withdraw from international climate agreements, and will adopt sensible environmental protection and waste management standards used by countries around the world.

Electricity production must take environmental considerations into account, but not global ones. Therefore, subsidies for renewable energy—which, among all the alternatives, causes the greatest damage to open spaces—will be discontinued. We will encourage continued natural gas exploration, and promote the operation of small modular nuclear reactors for electricity generation. Protection of nature reserves and open areas from the encroachment of illegal Arab construction will be achieved by integrating agricultural farms, including grazing that helps prevent wildfires. In Judea and Samaria, there are severe environmental problems due to a lack of governance, and the existing law must be strictly enforced there.

At the foundation of the social contract between citizens and the state, citizens relinquish part of their freedom and entrust the state with the authority to use force. In return, the state defends their security and safeguards their remaining liberties from external and internal threats. When local communities choose their own police chief, the relationship between the police officers and citizens will be restored to its proper state.

The biometric database is an illegitimate tool of government surveillance. Moreover, a leak of the database to unauthorized parties is only a matter of time. Zehut will repeal the Biometric Database Law, destroy the existing database, and transition to a smart ID card that carries encrypted biometric data stored locally on the card itself—data that cannot be accessed from any central database.

The Danger of Digital Currency and the Removal of Restrictions on Cash

The State of Israel is attempting to prohibit the holding of cash above a certain amount, and the Bank of Israel is promoting a transition to a digital currency. Digital currency would allow the government to track citizens and restrict their freedom of action. We oppose these measures. We distinguish this from trade in digital currencies, which is part of free-market activity.

A clear distinction must be made between violent and non-violent protest, with force used only in response to actual violence. Legitimate civil disobedience meets three conditions: acceptance of the authority of the elected government, willingness to bear the punishment, and non-violence. Zehut will end selective enforcement and apply a single, equal standard to all citizens.

An armed, law-abiding citizen is a partner in protecting public safety. The right to bear arms is derived from the right to self-defense. As a first step, every discharged soldier without a violent criminal record will be eligible for a firearms license, and soldiers will be discharged with their personal weapons. At the same time, eligibility will be expanded to all able-bodied citizens, legal protection will be granted to those acting in self-defense, and a determined operation will be launched against illegal weapons, the vast majority of which are held by Arabs.

Protection rackets constitute a threat to our sovereignty and are more than just ordinary crime. Zehut will classify them as one of the most severe forms of terrorism, transfer responsibility for handling them to the Shin Bet (the Israel Security Agency), work to revoke the citizenship of those involved and of their first-degree relatives, impose significantly harsher penalties, and seize assets.

The October 7th attack exposed for all to see the wretchedness of the approach of “rounds and containment” and the existential danger of continuing with this failed paradigm that does not recognize the value of victory. Zehut supports a return to the foundational doctrine of victory, and adds—victory based on our destiny. To this end, we must rehabilitate the values of the IDF and build a strategy aimed at decisive victory and achieving the status of a regional power. In every part of the Promised Land of Israel from which we are attacked—we will uphold the basic principles of victory: conquest, expulsion and settlement.

We will ensure the closure of progressivist units and bodies that harm the army’s resilience and its ability to win—such as the IDF Spokesperson, Galei Tzahal (the IDF Radio), and others. This includes units whose purpose is to weaken the Jewish hold on Judea and Samaria, such as the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and similar bodies.

Instead of the current code of ethics, Zehut will institute the Moral Code of the Israeli Army. This code will mandate striving for victory from a moral stance of eradicating evil—and prioritizing the lives of our soldiers over the lives of the enemy.

Zehut’s conscription model provides a security response to the variety of arenas, and to the ratio of “supply” and “demand” for manpower in the IDF. It includes: mandatory basic training of approximately one month for all men, after which soldiers return home with their personal weapon and a safe (like in Switzerland); short annual reserve duty for refresher training; and expanded career service for those who are suitable and interested. In times of emergency, training periods will be extended according to the operational needs for combat forces.

Zehut identifies a strategic threat from the Islamic powers in the region—Iran, Egypt and Turkey. Therefore, it will build the state’s power and deterrence doctrine accordingly: If someone comes to kill you, rise early and kill him first. To win, one must understand who the enemy is—the enemy’s nation-state, in all its dimensions. Iran: in addition to striking its military capabilities and leadership, Israel must severely damage the civilian infrastructure that funds its ambition to destroy Israel. Egypt: Israel must publicly acknowledge its violations of the peace agreements, exert political and economic pressure, and demand its withdrawal from Sinai. Turkey: In response to Turkey’s provocations, Israel must act as a regional power, and publicly support the Kurds and Druze.

American military aid has turned from an asset into a political burden that restricts Israel’s freedom of action. Zehut will work towards gradual security independence—self-funding of Israel’s defense needs, freeing the defense industry from the restrictions that come with aid, and diversifying to arms trade with additional countries.

A Clear Definition of the Enemy and How to Respond

War is not a criminal incident and it must not be dealt with by the civilian legal system. Zehut will clearly define the nature of the enemy and the methods for dealing with him, ending the current ambiguity that enables endless “management of the conflict.” This definition will enable a strategy of decisive victory rather than containment. An enemy will be eliminated, taken prisoner, or expelled. Captivity is not a means of punishment, and at the end of the war, prisoners will be released. An enemy who violates moral norms will be put to death without trial. Criminals, in contrast, will be tried in criminal proceedings, upholding their right to a fair trial. Administrative detention will be abolished.

The release of hostages will be achieved solely through military means. The direct and indirect price exacted from the kidnappers will be made unbearable for them. Zehut will not conduct negotiations for the release of hostages. Instead, it will change the rules of the game and restore victory to the top of the priority list. Victory prevents hostage taking—avoiding victory invites it.

“Oslo was not intended to bring peace, it was intended to create the Israelization of the state in place of its Judaization” (Dr. Ron Pundak, one of the architects of the agreement).

Without identity, there can be no victory. And if there’s no victory, the war doesn’t end. And if the war doesn’t end—peace cannot begin. An alternative plan, therefore, can only succeed if it serves a completely opposite strategic goal: not the “Israelization” of the state, but the preservation of its Jewish identity.

The goal of the political plan: Israel as the Regional Superpower in the Middle East

Principles of the plan: The Land of Israel is our land—the national home of the Jewish People alone by virtue of our Covenant with God. Human rights are granted by the Creator to all human beings and will be upheld for every resident who recognizes the sovereignty of the People of Israel in their land. Citizenship, however, is granted by man or the state and can therefore be revoked.

The stages of the plan: annulment of the Oslo Accords; in Gaza—following October 7th: conquest, expulsion, and settlement; in Judea and Samaria—following their violation of the agreements—a return to the pre-Oslo situation. The terrorists in Judea and Samaria will be given the opportunity to surrender and leave with their families, or continue their fighting and be eliminated. The State of Israel will regain full and exclusive control over Judea and Samaria, and full Israeli sovereignty will be applied throughout the liberated territory.

Arab residents will be offered three options: a generous emigration package for those who wish to leave; permanent residency status; or Israeli citizenship after a thorough vetting process and proof of loyalty.

Our opposition to granting automatic voting rights immediately upon the application of sovereignty is a matter of principle, not political expediency. The State of Israel was established to be the state of the Jewish People—and it must express and protect this principle in its system of government. The distinction between human rights, guaranteed for every person, and citizen’s rights, which are conditional on loyalty to the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish People, will also apply to the Arabs of Judea and Samaria.

Zehut provides a detailed response to the demographic, security, and international concerns raised by the plan, and demonstrates how it can be implemented without jeopardizing the Jewish identity or the security of the state. Population transfers following wars have occurred many times in the modern era in Western countries. No one claims that the United States practices apartheid because the residents of American Samoa, who are under its sovereignty, do not have the right to vote.

Israel should be a country that heralds a moral path for humanity, rather than one that seeks legitimacy from other nations. Israel will pursue cooperation with countries around the world, without compromising its principles and without creating relationships of dependency. Our relations with other countries will be based on reciprocity, and we will not accept foreign interference in Israel’s internal affairs. Israel will withdraw from the United Nations, due to its unfair and disrespectful treatment of the Jewish state.

We will denounce human rights violations around the world, and we will not sell weapons to countries that systematically violate them. We will work to complete the Ingathering of the Exiles by actively encouraging both individual and communal Aliyah.

Jerusalem, the eternal capital of Israel, is the essence of Jewish national existence. Zehut will work to strengthen its standing as the eternal capital of the Jewish People, develop the city, and ensure full Israeli sovereignty over every part of it.