Israeli elections: Ex-mayor of Beit Shemesh Aliza Bloch joins Erdan, Edelstein's right-wing party

Dr. Aliza Bloch, former mayor of Beit Shemesh, announced on Monday that she is joining the new right-wing party established by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, expressing her ambition to become the next education minister. Bloch enters national politics following years of experience in management and education. As mayor of Beit Shemesh, she led one of Israel's most complex cities, home to secular, religious, haredi, and traditional communities. During her term, she expanded the city's state haredi education frameworks, based on the belief that haredi children can maintain their identity while also receiving the tools needed to integrate into Israeli society through education, employment, and service. Bloch has also described the education system as central to addressing equality in sharing the burden. Since the outbreak of the war, Bloch has spent part of each week living in Kiryat Shmona, where she has worked to strengthen the education system in northern Israel. As president of the Israel Arts and Science Academy, she initiated the establishment of centers of excellence for students in the city. She is currently working with the mayor of Netivot and the Education Ministry to establish a high school for gifted and outstanding students in science and the arts. Bloch is the first person to join the new party established by former Likud members Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein. The two announced in recent days that they were forming a new right-wing party as an alternative to Israel's existing right-wing parties. In announcing the move, they criticized Likud and emphasized the importance of IDF service.