Bookstore Glossary Library Links News Publications Timeline Virtual Israel Experience
Anti-Semitism Biography History Holocaust Israel Israel Education Myths & Facts Politics Religion Travel US & Israel Vital Stats Women
donate subscribe Contact About Home

Union of Right-Wing Parties

(2019)

The Union of Right-Wing Parties (Hebrew: איחוד מפלגות הימין, lit., Union of The Right-Wing Parties) is an Israeli alliance of right-wing to far-right religious parties containing the Jewish Home, National Union, Tkuma, and Otzma Yehudit. The list was created ahead of the 2019 election after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the Jewish Home alliance to accept Otzma Yehudit as part of its list for the next election to avoid losing votes for the right-wing bloc and the possibility that the individual parties would fail to reach the threshold to win seats in the Knesset.

On February 15, 2019, Tkuma and the Jewish Home party agreed to a form a list again, with Tkuma getting every other seat on the list. A few days later, Otzma Yehudit and the Jewish Home agreed to form a list after Netanyahu promised he would reward the Jewish Home with positions in his cabinet.

Jewish Home leader Rafi Peretz will head the combined list, while National Union chair Bezalel Smotrich will be number two and be given the ministerial portfolio that the party would likely receive if it enters the governing coalition.

Due to the Kahanist ideology of Otzma Yehudit, the arrangement generated condemnation both in Israel, Britain and in the American pro-Israel community.

Prior to the Septmeber 2019 electionHaYamin HeHadash announced it was merging with the Union of Right-Wing Parties under the new name United Right with Ayelet Shaked at the top of the list.


Sources: “Union of Right-Wing Parties,” Wikipedia;
Alon Einhorn, “AIPAC Condemns Netanyahu's Alliance With Otzma Yehudit,” Jerusalem Post, (February 27, 2019);
Jacob Magid, “Jewish Home and National Union agree to reunite for Knesset run,” Times of Israel, (February 15, 2019);
Lahav Harkov, “Former IDF chief rabbi Rafi Peretz elected to lead Bayit Yehudi,” Jerusalem Post, (February 3, 2019);
Allison Kaplan Sommer, “Israel’s Do-over Election: A Guide to All the Parties and Who Holds the Keys to the Next Government,” Haaretz, (July 31, 2019).