Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich addressed the internal fractures within the Religious Zionist public during a recent podcast interview, stating that the faction lost control of the Chief Rabbinates because of its own internal conflicts. Smotrich, who also leads the Religious Zionism party, explained his perspective on the leadership struggles surrounding the election of the chief rabbis and the appointment of municipal rabbis.
According to Smotrich, he initially sought to avoid political intervention in choosing a chief rabbi, noting that he believes politicians should not decide who holds the religious office. Instead, he approached Rabbi Yaakov Ariel and requested that he convene a committee of roughly 40 rabbis to select a consensus candidate for the Religious Zionist movement. The committee ultimately chose Rabbi Meir Kahana, and Smotrich publicly supported the decision by appearing alongside him at public events.
However, Smotrich recounted that within a single day, various rabbinical figures from within the Religious Zionist camp began working against the initiative. He stated that these figures approached ultra-Orthodox rosh yeshivas in an attempt to undermine the nomination, illustrating that the primary opposition came from inside the religious-nationalist camp rather than the ultra-Orthodox public. After a year and a half during which the rabbinical committee failed to reach a binding ruling, Rabbi Ariel informed Smotrich that he was released from his commitment to the committee’s decision.
Smotrich Shifts to Political Model for Rabbinical Decisions
Following the breakdown of the rabbinical committee process, Smotrich shifted to a political decision-making model based on feasibility rather than trying to determine which candidate was spiritually superior. When entering his role, Smotrich reached out to roughly 30 rabbis to establish a regular framework for joint study and consultation, aiming to bridge the gap between rabbinical and political leadership. Over time, participation in the forum narrowed down to five rabbis: Hananel Etrog, David Dudkevitch, Yehoshua Shapira, Shimon Cohen, and Haim Gantz, as other participants could not meet the extensive time and study commitments.
Smotrich emphasized the unique culture of the religious-nationalist public, characterizing it as a demographic of leaders rather than a grassroots following. We are a public of leaders
he said, noting that community members often struggle to set aside their own opinions for rabbinical or political authority. Following the election of Rabbi Kalman Ber as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Smotrich called Ber to offer his full support, telling him, Rabbi, it is over, you are the chief rabbi, I am a soldier of yours.
He added that during the election, he had asked members of the electoral body affiliated with his party to vote in alignment with his position, but they refused, resulting in a loss by a single vote.
Internal Divisions Stall Municipal Rabbi Appointments
Addressing the prolonged delays in appointing municipal rabbis, Smotrich argued that internal divisions within Religious Zionism heavily stalled the process in cities such as Haifa, Ariel, and Arad. In Haifa, he stated that persistent disputes between two communities over competing candidates prevented a timely appointment, and an agreement on Rabbi Blum was reached only when the window of opportunity had nearly closed. He rejected criticism that he could have achieved better results in rabbinical appointments by dedicating more energy to the issue, pointing out that unlike Shas leader Aryeh Deri, who focuses primarily on this, his own portfolio spans warfare, the economy, Judea and Samaria, and religious education.
Smotrich also reflected on the post-election coalition negotiations, which involved a protracted struggle over control of the Ministry of Religious Services and associated legislative powers. The resulting compromise granted Shas control of the ministry while allowing the Religious Zionism party to retain influence over religious legislation through a committee chaired by MK Simcha Rothman.
