Projected Israeli Parliament Set to Include Lawmakers With Records on Gaza

Provisional election results show that the incoming Israeli parliament will comprise politicians with documented histories of supporting collective punishment, mass expulsion, and strict opposition to Palestinian statehood. A review of the projected Knesset members reveals eight candidates whose public records include calls for blockades and severe measures against Palestinians. These figures are set to take seats based on current vote tallies.

Hanamel Dorfman, representing the Jewish Power party, is a former chief of staff to Itamar Ben Gvir. During a 2013 Tel Aviv protest, the 17-year-old Dorfman stated that the only problem with the Nazis was that he was on the losing side. Footage from his wedding that year showed him dancing with knives to songs advocating attacks on Palestinians. His party colleague Yitzhak Wasserlauf was recorded citing Psalm 137 to motivate soldiers in Gaza. The verse references seizing babies and smashing them against rocks.

Tzvika Mor of the Religious Zionism-Zehut party, a settler from Kiryat Arba, demanded the cutoff of electricity and water to Palestinian villages resisting occupation in a radio interview this month. He also called for the expulsion of families and confiscation of property. Itamar Eitam, a reserve lieutenant colonel from the same party, rejected distinctions between fighters and civilians in a July 2024 interview. He described Palestinians as evil and dismissed the idea that they desire peaceful lives or education for their children.

Yonatan Shalev of the Together list served as a combat reservist in Gaza during the war. He defended denying Palestinians a state, telling The Jerusalem Post that Israel would not pass its territory to anyone. Yulia Malinovsky of Yisrael Beiteinu participated in blocking aid trucks on 22 October. She used the obstruction as campaign material, accusing the government of feeding Palestinians instead of starving them. Matan Kahana of the Yashar party stated in June 2022 that he would press a button to remove Arabs and send them to Switzerland.

Merav Ben-Ari, also of the Together list, blamed Palestinian children for their suffering during an October 2023 parliamentary debate. She rejected comparisons between Palestinian children and Israeli children killed in the conflict. A United Nations inquiry cited her remarks while examining rhetoric targeting children in Gaza. These candidates represent a mix of settler movements, religious parties, and centrist lists entering the new legislative term.

The presence of these lawmakers highlights the diversity of views within the new Knesset regarding the treatment of Palestinians. Their records range from biblical quotations used in military contexts to specific policy demands for resource cutoffs. The election results place these figures in positions to influence legislation and public discourse on the conflict.