Both converted to Christianity and Yuri is now a Russian Orthodox priest in Karabanovo of Kostroma Oblast named Father Georgy.

When Edelstein's grandfather died, Yuli began to study Hebrew and read books such as Exodus by Leon Uris.

Turned down, he began to associate with a small group of Hebrew teachers who held classes in their apartments.

He was due to be transferred back to Buryatia, but his wife, Tatiana (Tanya), threatened to go on hunger strike if he was returned there.

He retained his seat in the 2009 elections after being placed twelfth on the party's list, and was appointed Minister of Information and Diaspora in the Netanyahu government.

[19] Following the 2013 elections, Edelstein was nominated by Likud Yisrael Beitenu to replace then Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin.

His nomination was approved by all members of the party's parliamentary caucus excluding Rivlin, who chose to abstain.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel appealed to the Supreme Court, which ordered Edelstein to convene the Knesset.

[27] On March 26, a newly formed coalition led by Netanyahu and Gantz elected the latter to be sworn in as the new Knesset Speaker.

[32] In December 2014, in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Edelstein warned world leaders against creating a Palestinian state that he thought would go to war with Israel.

In 2014, he was one of several Members of the Knesset (MK) who submitted complaints against Arab-Israeli Haneen Zoabi for supporting Hamas, which led to her six-month suspension.

[34] After the Israeli military police in July 2024 visited Sde Teiman detention camp to detain nine Israeli soldiers suspected of abuse of a Palestinian prisoner, Edelman condemned the "situation where masked military police raid an IDF base […] our soldiers are not criminals and this despicable pursuit of our fighters is not acceptable.".

[36] In June 2016, Edelstein married Irina Nevzlin, chair of the board of directors of The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot and President of the NADAV Foundation.