Dr. Tzvika Mor, father of former hostage Eitan Mor, will join the Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, ahead of the upcoming elections, the two announced on Tuesday at a joint press conference in the Knesset.
Mor’s son Eitan was working as a security guard at the Supernova music festival when Hamas invaded on October 7, 2023, and kidnapped him. Eitan was held captive for two years and released as part of the US-brokered ceasefire deal in October 2025.
Mor, 49, is the chairman of the Tikva Forum, which was founded by family members of hostages kidnapped into Gaza during the October 7 attacks. It holds a right-wing stance and, throughout the war, pushed against a partial hostage-ceasefire deal with the terror group.
The Religious Zionist Party stated that Mor’s addition was intended to strengthen the list with a values-based national voice and to prevent “a return to dangerous conceptual failures that led to the October 7 attacks.”
Smotrich embraces Mor into Religious Zionist Party
His addition will also allow the Religious Zionist Party to work toward settlement in the West Bank, a reform of the judicial system, and preserving the Jewish identity of the state, the party said. Smotrich praised Mor’s addition on Tuesday, saying that he “is an inspiring figure and an essential, courageous voice in Israeli public life. A person who, more than anything, embodies our wonderful Religious Zionist public.”
“He is joining us today as a partner in the struggle over the path the State of Israel must take after October 7: defeating our enemies, strengthening settlements, and maintaining a true right-wing government out of concern for all citizens of Israel,” he added.
Mor is a member of the religious Zionist community and lives in Kiryat Arba, an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank.
He holds a PhD in education and is the father of eight children.
Mor describes 'deep sense of mission'
Mor said that he was joining the Religious Zionist Party out of a feeling of “a deep sense of mission.”
“During the October 7 disaster, I immediately understood that the State of Israel would not return to what it was.”
“The path of surrender to terror has led us to ongoing disasters, and therefore our commitment to Israel’s security must be absolute,” Mor explained.
He noted that though his son Eitan had been released from captivity, he still felt that his sense of responsibility had not ended.
“I am joining Bezalel Smotrich and the path of the Religious Zionist Party, which stood by me throughout the entire journey, voiced our firm position in the cabinet, and did not allow the government to surrender,” he said. Smotrich had threatened to resign from the government throughout the Israel-Hamas War, amid the ongoing negotiations over a hostage-ceasefire deal with Hamas.
“This is the only party that will implement true right-wing policy and clearly states that the State of Israel must win,” Mor said.
Mor told the press that the most important thing he wants to change by joining politics was to address “the urgent need of making sure we never experience such a disaster again [like October 7], and that no one has to worry about their children being kidnapped. That is essential.”
He said that another fundamental issue of importance to him was that Israelis understand Jewish identity and that there was education on the Land of Israel and the West Bank settlements.
The Religious Zionist Party was failing to pass the electoral threshold in numerous polls conducted in recent months.
Last week, it crossed the threshold for the first time in months in a Maariv poll, which showed that it could gain four seats. The party currently holds seven seats in the Knesset. Smotrich is also the head of the Settlements Administration, a Defense Ministry body established in 2023 that manages matters in West Bank settlements and advances construction and housing in the area.
The far-right minister’s statements calling for West Bank annexation often draw sharp international condemnation, as well as criticism for harming Israel’s global standing.
There have been reports about a potential joint run between the Religious Zionist Party and the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, led by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The two ran together on a joint list in the 2022 elections.
Asked about such an alliance by the press on Tuesday, Smotrich said that the Religious Zionist Party “will continue to be a major player in the political system.” He added regarding all political moves that “you’ll hear more about them later.”
General elections are set to take place no later than October 27.