# Shema: what they've published

Close Read, episode 13. Shema (שמע), list 13, ballot letters נף. Published October 8, 2026. Israel's Knesset election is on October 27, 2026.

- Page: https://closeread.show/israel-2026/shema/
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h__fdcOJhLU
- Audio: https://media.closeread.show/audio/closeread-013-shema-51801f22.mp3

Shema's platform says state support for homosexuality should be made illegal, and that people who cheat on their spouses should be punished. [S5](#source-s5) [S12](#source-s12) [S13](#source-s13) That platform is still on their website, but it was written for earlier elections, and they haven't published anything new for this one. [S5](#source-s5) [S16](#source-s16)

## Who is Shema?

Shema is on the ballot as the letters Nun Feh, led by Naftali Goldman, who is the only candidate on its list. [S1](#source-s1) [S2](#source-s2) [S24](#source-s24)

## What has Shema published?

Shema has a website, eomzone.com, with a platform page and separate pages for each proposed law. [S4](#source-s4) [S5](#source-s5) None of it mentions this election. The economic section adopts "the 2020 budget," the English page is headed "The current situation in Israel 2022," and the same text was filed as a 24-page platform for the 2022 election. [S15](#source-s15) [S16](#source-s16) [S19](#source-s19) The blog's last post is from October 2020. [S20](#source-s20) So everything in this episode is the party's standing platform from past elections, and it's still the platform they point to. [S3](#source-s3) [S5](#source-s5)

## What does Shema say about security and foreign policy?

The platform says Arabs must recognize the Jewish people's right to Israel, calls for zero tolerance toward terror with strong sanctions, and says Shema does not support a two-state solution. [S5](#source-s5) On foreign policy it says it will build dialogue with all nations and business ties with allies. [S5](#source-s5) I couldn't find a published position on Iran, Lebanon, or the United States.

## What does Shema say about accountability for October 7?

I couldn't find a published position on October 7 accountability. The platform was written before October 7. [S5](#source-s5) [S20](#source-s20)

## What does Shema say about the economy and the cost of living?

The platform says it does not plan to change economic policy much, and would adopt the 2020 budget of 479 billion shekels. [S15](#source-s15) To pay for its programs, it proposes moving army bases out of city centers like Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, and Jerusalem, selling or leasing that land to developers, and building "hundreds of thousands of apartments" on it. [S15](#source-s15) It also lists money from the Leviathan gas field. [S15](#source-s15)

## What does Shema say about housing?

Young Israelis under 35 who finish full military or national service, complete the free study track they chose, and then marry, would be offered an apartment in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, or Bnei Brak at a much lower price, with a down payment of no more than ten percent. [S8](#source-s8) They couldn't sell or rent it out for 15 years. [S8](#source-s8)

## What does Shema say about religion and state?

On military service, the platform calls for conscripting all Jewish men with no exemption for any religious group. [S10](#source-s10) The army would have a second branch, a "spiritual combat unit," where soldiers study and pray on closed bases with no phones, no internet, and no women, under yeshiva heads as commanders. [S10](#source-s10)

The platform says state support for homosexuality would be made illegal, the Pride parade would be banned, and same-sex marriage and "promotion of the LGBT community" would be illegal. [S12](#source-s12) It describes a first stage it calls "re-education," with counseling and no enforcement. [S12](#source-s12)

A "Sanctity of Marriage Law" would punish a husband or wife who cheats. [S5](#source-s5) [S13](#source-s13) The platform says the procedures would be set later, rules out fines and prison, and gives public shaming as an example, with the offender wearing a sign outside his parents' house. [S13](#source-s13)

It also calls for censoring online pornography for anyone 18 and under, and for a minister for Jewish unity with a budget. [S5](#source-s5) [S9](#source-s9) [S14](#source-s14)

## What does Shema say about the judiciary and governance?

The platform would remove the Supreme Court's power to overturn Knesset decisions. [S11](#source-s11) If the court finds a problem with a law, the law would go back to the government for a vote, and that vote would be binding. [S11](#source-s11) I couldn't find a position on the attorney general or the electoral system.

## What does Shema say about education?

Free university or career training for everyone who completes full military or national service, and state help afterward to open a business in international trade. [S7](#source-s7) I couldn't find a position on the school system.

## What does Shema say about health?

The platform calls for substantially raising the budget for the state medicines basket, without giving a number. [S7](#source-s7)

## What does Shema say about social welfare, pensions and the elderly?

It says the sick, orphans, widows, and the elderly should receive a "full cost of living." [S7](#source-s7) It doesn't give an amount.

## What does Shema say about Arab citizens and minorities?

I couldn't find a published position on Arab citizens of Israel. The only mention of Arabs is the conflict position I covered earlier. [S5](#source-s5)

## What does Shema say about immigration, absorption and the diaspora?

The platform proposes an online network connecting Jews around the world, supervised "to ensure kosher use," and a ministerial committee to connect Jews in Israel and abroad. [S9](#source-s9) I couldn't find a position on aliyah or absorption.

## What does Shema say about the environment, energy and transportation?

I couldn't find a published position on the environment, energy, or transportation.

## What Shema puts front and center

The homepage frames everything around three problems it sees in Israeli society: that it's immoral, cruel, and disunited. [S4](#source-s4) The laws on homosexuality, marriage, and pornography come first in the platform. [S5](#source-s5)

## What Shema hasn't published

Shema hasn't published anything for this election. In the older platform, I couldn't find positions on October 7, Arab citizens, the environment, energy, or transportation.

## Chapters

- 0:00 Intro
- 0:21 About this series
- 0:47 Who they are
- 1:28 Security and foreign policy
- 1:51 October 7, Economy
- 2:24 Housing
- 2:45 Religion and state
- 3:54 Judiciary and governance
- 4:09 Education
- 4:22 Health, Welfare
- 4:42 Arab citizens and minorities
- 4:52 Immigration, absorption, and diaspora
- 5:12 Environment, Front and center
- 5:46 What's missing

## Sources

- <a id="source-s1"></a>S1: [Central Elections Committee page for the 26th Knesset: "שמע", candidate list submitted by "מפלגת שמע בראשות נפתלי גולדמן" (one candidate: גולדמן נפתלי בורוך). Printout of the CEC gov.il page, hosted by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI)](https://www.idi.org.il/media/32338/שמע.pdf) (CEC record, Hebrew, published 2026-09-07)
- <a id="source-s2"></a>S2: [ynet, CEC approval of 38 lists and their ballot letters: "נף" for "שמע, בראשות נפתלי גולדמן" (dashes in the original headline replaced with commas). Used only for the ballot letters](https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/s1ibdii5fe) (News (secondary), Hebrew, published 2026-09-27)
- <a id="source-s3"></a>S3: [IDI 2026 parties table. Lists "מפלגת שמע" with a candidate list and a "מצע" (platform) link to eomzone.com/מצע](https://www.idi.org.il/policy/parties-and-elections/elections/2026-1) (Reference table, Hebrew, published 2026)
- <a id="source-s4"></a>S4: [Party homepage, "מה מפלגת 'שמע' מציעה" (what Shema offers). Footer © 2026](https://eomzone.com/) (Website, Hebrew, published Undated (live))
- <a id="source-s5"></a>S5: ["מצע" page: full platform text (moral society, kindness, unity, conflict, foreign policy, financing). Links the PDF "מפלגת-שמע-מצע-2020.21". Wayback snapshot 2026-09-19: http://web.archive.org/web/20260919151841/https://eomzone.com/%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%A2/](https://eomzone.com/מצע/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated; text written for the 2020 to 2021 campaigns (cites "תקציב לשנת 2020"))
- <a id="source-s6"></a>S6: ["דבר היו"ר נפתלי גולדמן" (chairman's statement, About page)](https://eomzone.com/about/) (Website, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s7"></a>S7: ["חוק הנזקקים" (Law of the Needy) / חסד page](https://eomzone.com/חסד/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s8"></a>S8: [Housing assistance for under-35s who complete full military or national service](https://eomzone.com/סיוע-לרכישת-דירות-לבני-35-ולמטה/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s9"></a>S9: ["חוק אחדות ישראל" (Israel Unity Law)](https://eomzone.com/חוק-אחדות/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s10"></a>S10: ["חוק גיוס מפלגת שמע" (Shema conscription law)](https://eomzone.com/חוק-גיוס-מפלגת-שמע/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s11"></a>S11: [Removing the Supreme Court's power to overturn Knesset decisions](https://eomzone.com/חוק-הסרת-כך-בגץ-מעל-הכנסת/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s12"></a>S12: ["הסרת התמיכה המדינית של יחסים אסורים" (removing state support for "forbidden relations")](https://eomzone.com/יחסים-אסורים/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s13"></a>S13: ["חוק קדושת הנישואין" (Sanctity of Marriage Law)](https://eomzone.com/חוק-קדושת-הנישואין/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s14"></a>S14: ["חוק צנזורה" (online pornography censorship for minors)](https://eomzone.com/חוק-צנזורה/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated)
- <a id="source-s15"></a>S15: ["תוכנית מימון וצמיחה כלכלית" (financing and economic growth plan)](https://eomzone.com/תוכנית-מימון-וצמיחה-כלכלית/) (Website platform page, Hebrew, published Undated; cites the 2020 budget)
- <a id="source-s16"></a>S16: [English version: "What the 'Shema' party offers", headed "The current situation in Israel 2022", ends "Vote Shema in the 2022 elections"](https://eomzone.com/shema/) (Website (English), English, published Undated; written for 2022)
- <a id="source-s17"></a>S17: ["המהפכה" page, ends "תצביעו שמע 2022" (Vote Shema 2022)](https://eomzone.com/המהפכה/) (Website, Hebrew, published Undated; written for 2022)
- <a id="source-s18"></a>S18: ["מפלגת שמע מצע 2020.21", linked from the site. Scanned image PDF (no text layer), created 2020-09-17](https://eomzone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/מפלגת-שמע-מצע-2020.21.pdf) (Platform PDF, Hebrew, published 2020-09-17)
- <a id="source-s19"></a>S19: [Shema platform filed for the 25th Knesset (2022), hosted by IDI. 24 pages, image-based. Spot-checked: table of contents (p.3) and financing section match the website text](https://www.idi.org.il/media/18477/שמע.pdf) (Platform PDF, Hebrew, published 2022-10-18)
- <a id="source-s20"></a>S20: [Blog and RSS feed. Newest post dated October 15, 2020](https://eomzone.com/blog/) (Party blog, Hebrew, published 2020)
- <a id="source-s21"></a>S21: [IDI results tables for 2020, 2021, 2022: Shema ran in all three with a platform link](https://www.idi.org.il/policy/parties-and-elections/elections/2022/) (Reference tables, Hebrew, published 2020 to 2022)
- <a id="source-s22"></a>S22: [Knesset Channel list of all 26th Knesset candidate lists ("שמע בראשות נפתלי גולדמן", "גולדמן נפתלי בורוך")](https://www.knesset.tv/main-articles/61384/94592/) (News (secondary), Hebrew, published 2026-09)
- <a id="source-s23"></a>S23: [Leader's channel (linked from the party site). Latest party video published 2021-03-08 ("מפלגת שמע - בחירות 2022"); nothing from 2026](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzxRRj9k992Jx1ir-YRBDcQ) (YouTube channel feed, Hebrew, published 2019 to 2024)
- <a id="source-s24"></a>S24: [Central Elections Committee index of all 38 lists for the 26th Knesset with ballot letters; this party's row gives the letters נף. The page header still carries the standard note that lists are as submitted, but the index includes the committee's September 23 exclusion decisions, so it postdates the review. Used for ballot letters only. Copied on 2026-10-01 from the Joint List folder's saved copy](https://www.gov.il/he/pages/candidates-lists-26) (CEC record, Hebrew, published September 2026)