1996 Likud Party Platform

Preamble
The right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel is an eternal right, not subject to dispute, and includes the right to security and peace.
Zionism is the liberation movement of the Jewish people, and its fulfilment is at the top of the list of priorities of the Government of Israel. Immigration will be increased, and settlement will be strengthened. The decision to freeze settlements will be rescinded.

Peace will be a central aim of Israel's policy. The Government of Israel will conduct direct negotiations with Arab states to reach peace agreements.

Security is the basis for durable peace in our region. Israel will make security a first condition in any peace agreement.

Operatives
1. The Government of Israel will honor international agreements, and will continue the diplomatic process to achieve a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. It will recognize the facts created on the ground by the various accords, and will act to reduce the dangers to the future and security of Israel resulting from these agreements.
2. The Government of Israel will carry out negotiations with the Palestinian Authority to achieve a permanent peace arrangement, on condition that the Palestinians fully honor all their obligations. Most important among these are that the Palestinians annul in an unequivocal manner the clauses in the Palestinian Charter which call for the destruction of Israel, and that they prevent terror and incitement against Israel.

3. The Government of Israel will enable the Palestinians to manage their lives freely, within the framework of self-government. However, foreign affairs and defense, and matters which require coordination, will remain the responsibility of the State of Israel. The government will oppose the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

4. Sources of employment for the Palestinians will be developed in the autonomous areas to reduce the number of Palestinian workers in the Israeli market.

5. Jewish settlement, security areas, water resources, state land and road intersections in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip shall remain under full Israeli control.

6. Israel will keep its vital water resources in Judea and Samaria. There shall be no infringement of Israel's use of its water resources.

7. United and undivided Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. Activities which undermine the status of Jerusalem will be banned, and therefore PLO and Palestinian Authority institutions in the city, including the Orient House, will be closed.

8. The Jordan River shall be the eastern border of the State of Israel, south of Lake Kinneret. This will be the permanent border between the State of Israel and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Kingdom of Jordan may become a partner in the final arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians, in areas agreed upon in the negotiations.

9. Israel will conduct peace negotiations with Syria, while maintaining Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and its water resources.

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Chapter 2: Foreign Relations
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1. Israel's foreign policy will serve its security interests and the hope for peace and economic prosperity. Expanding economic ties will be a main task of the Foreign Ministry.

2. Israel will continue to view its relations with the United States as the cornerstone of its foreign policy, with ties between the two countries grounded in shared values of freedom, justice, and democracy.

3. Israel has an interest in a strong Hashemite Jordan. There are a whole range of areas of common interest between Israel and Jordan, and the government will work to deepen the ties between the two countries.

4. Israel desires good neighborly relations with Egypt, the largest Arab country. However, relations between Jerusalem and Cairo can only develop on the basis of reciprocity.

5. Israel will continue efforts to reach mutual recognition with Arab countries with which it does not have relations, and will try to establish full relations with states with which it has low-level contacts. Particular attention will be given to Morocco and Tunisia, as well as the Gulf states.

6. Israel will seek to strengthen its ties with Russia, along with other CIS states, recognizing Russia's importance in the world arena, its interest in the Middle East, and with an eye to maintaining close ties with Jews living there.

7. Israel looks to become an associate member of the European Community, and will continue its policy of integrating into the European market.

8. Israel will continue to deepen its ties with countries in East Asia -- with China, Japan, India, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, and Australia -- in areas ranging from trade to military cooperation to culture.

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Chapter 3: Israel Defense Forces [IDF]
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1. Israel will continue to maintain its full power of deterrence. Israel cannot ignore the threats to its security emanating from the efforts of Iran and other countries to procure arms, and from Syria's determination to prepare for war against Israel.

2. Israel will draw on all its science and technology potential to develop special weapons systems in order to maintain its qualitative edge and prepare the IDF for the battlefield of the next century.

3. A National Security Council will be established for the first time by the prime minister, in accordance with Basic Law: Government.

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Chapter 4: Internal Security
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1. The government will work to restore a sense of security to Israel's citizens.

2. The war on crime and drugs will be redoubled, and the number of Border Police increased, allowing civilian police to deal with matters of law and order.

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Chapter 5: The Jewish People
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1. Israel must see to it that Jews of the Diaspora do not abandon their people, for whatever reason. The main way to insure this is through Jewish and Hebrew education for Diaspora youth. The aim is that there will not be a Jewish child anywhere in the world who does not receive some form of Jewish education.

2. The government will initiate the formation of an education system for Diaspora Jewry, with the participation of Israel's Education Ministry, the Jewish Agency, the Zionist Federation, and Jewish communities around the world. Israeli teachers will be sent to to teach in Jewish schools, in rotation of several years, just as diplomats are sent to serve in embassies.

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Chapter 6: Aliyah & Absorption
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1. The government will set a goal of having seven million Jews in Israel within the next decade. The government will prepare the country to absorb Jews, both new immigrants and returning citizens, viewing this not only as a national undertaking but as strengthening Israel economically and culturally.

2. The government will aid new immigrants with housing and employment, while also giving an equal level of assistance to young native Israelis who are entering the job market.

3. Regarding Soviet immigrants, the government will work to have them employed in their professions. The government will implement a master plan which will create 130,000 jobs for engineers, doctors, scientists, and teachers, according to the recommendations of the Branover Committee.

4. Regarding Ethiopian immigrants, the government will work to improve education among the young by desegregating classes and encouraging parental involvement in school; and then will encourage students to pursue college degrees through grants and other assistance. The government will work to improve the housing situation by finally closing caravan sites and absorption centers and giving special mortgages to Ethiopian immigrants.

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Chapter 7: Economy
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1. The national camp has always espoused a free-market economy. The experience in Israel and the world has proven that economics based on socialism doesn't work. On the other hand, an economy based on free enterprise brings growth and prosperity over time.

2. Today the Israeli economy is on the brink of a severe slowdown. Over the last few years there is a growing deficit in the balance of payment, which threatens the stability of the economy.

3. The government will make structural reforms in the Israeli economy, which will include the following steps:

Lower taxes -- income tax will be reduced gradually each year
Inflation will be reduced to a single digit level
Cutting bureaucracy in all possible areas
Reducing the poverty level
Modernizing infrastructure in development towns
Transportation -- improving existing roads, while preparing infrastructure for a local and nationwide rail system
Returning credibility and investment to the stock market

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Chapter 8: Agriculture & Settlement
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1. Settlement in all parts of the Land of Israel is of national importance and part of Israel's defense strategy. The government will allocate special resources for settlement in border and sparcely-populated areas.