Israel allows Kahanist party to contest election

Key facts

• A far-right Kahanist party in Israel has been cleared to contest an upcoming election.
• Shin Bet initially sought to bar the party, citing control by activists Baruch Marzel and Michael Ben Ari.
• The security agency's assessment indicated the party aimed to advance the ideology of the outlawed Kach movement.
• Rabbi Meir Kahane founded the Kach movement, which advocated for Jewish supremacy and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.

Israel's security agency, Shin Bet, has reversed its earlier stance and will allow a far-right Kahanist party to contest an upcoming election. The decision follows an intelligence assessment that identified Kahanist activists Baruch Marzel and Michael Ben Ari as effectively controlling the party, named "A Whole and Strong Jewish Israel."

Shin Bet's intelligence indicated that Marzel and Ben Ari intended to use the new party to promote the ideology of Rabbi Meir Kahane's ultranationalist Kach movement. The agency also found that the pair had deliberately omitted their names from the party's founding list to conceal their involvement. The Kach movement, founded by Kahane, espoused Jewish supremacy, advocated for the annexation of occupied Palestinian territory, and supported the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. The Kach party has been designated a terrorist organization by Israel and several other governments due to its history of violent extremist attacks.

Michael Ben Ari previously chaired the Jewish Power party, led by Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir. The upcoming legislative election is scheduled for October 27, 2026, where parties must meet a 3.25% electoral threshold to enter the Knesset.