National Religious Party–Religious Zionism Explained

National Religious Party–
Religious Zionism
Merger:Religious Zionist Party
The Jewish Home
Foundation:20 August 2023
Country:Israel
Leader:Bezalel Smotrich
Abbreviation:Mafdal–RZ
Founders:Bezalel Smotrich
Hagit Moshe
Colours: Dark blue
Lime Green
Light Blue
Seats1 Title:Knesset
Position:Far-right[1]
Religion:Orthodox Judaism

The National Religious Party–Religious Zionism (Hebrew: מפלגה דתית לאומית–הציונות הדתית|Miflaga Datit Leumit – HaTzionut HaDatit), or Mafdal–Religious Zionism, is a far-right[1] religious Zionist political party in Israel. The party was formed in August 2023, when the Religious Zionist Party and The Jewish Home parties agreed to merge.[2] The merger is expected to give the former Religious Zionist Party a foothold at the municipal level, while The Jewish Home will be able to wield some power after not gaining any seats in the 2022 Israeli legislative election.[3]

Background

Bezalel Smotrich defeated Uri Ariel in the Tkuma leadership election in January 2019.[4]

After difficult negotiations, Tkuma, The Jewish Home, and Otzma Yehudit reached a deal to run in the April 2019 election as the Union of Right-Wing Parties (winning five seats in the Knesset). In June 2019, Otzma Yehudit accused The Jewish Home of not honoring their election pact, and left the alliance.[5] The New Right (founded by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked after splitting from The Jewish Home in December 2018) had failed to pass the electoral threshold in the April 2019 election.[6] Ahead of the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, The Jewish Home and Tkuma (running as the United Right) allied with the New Right,[7] and called their joint list Yamina.[8] Despite Otzma and The Jewish Home initially agreeing to run on a joint list called the United Jewish Home in preparation for the 2020 Israeli legislative election,[9] Yamina was reformed, with Otzma Yehudit once again being left out.[10]

Smotrich rebranded his party from National Union-Tkuma to the Religious Zionist Party on 7 January 2021.[11] The following month, RZP, Otzma Yehudit, and Noam formed an electoral alliance,[12] with all three parties winning six seats in the 2021 election on a joint list.[13] The three parties ran together again in the 2022 election, with the RZP winning seven seats, Otzma Yehudit winning six seats, and Noam keeping its single seat.[14]

Hagit Moshe was elected head of The Jewish Home on 19 January 2021 by the parties Central Committee, replacing former head Rafi Peretz.[15] After failed negotiations with the RZP for the 2021 election, Moshe announced that the party would not run in the election, and instead supported Yamina[16] and allowed them to use "ב", the traditional symbol of Mafdal and The Jewish Home.[17] Shaked ended the brief alliance she had with Yoaz Hendel (called Zionist Spirit) prior to the 2022 election,[18] reportedly over Hendel's unwillingness to serve alongside Benjamin Netanyahu in government,[19] and instead headed the Yamina slate[20] that ran under The Jewish Home name in the 2022 election.[21] The Jewish Home did not clear the electoral threshold, and was left out of the Knesset.[22]

There were ongoing talks between Moshe and Smotrich going back as far as May 2023 discussing a joint run.[23] The Jewish Home central committee voted to dissolve the party on 20 August 2023.[24]

Local elections

Moshe, the former head of The Jewish Home, led the party's Jerusalem list ahead of the 2024 Israeli municipal elections.[25] The election was originally set to take place on 30 October 2023, but on 23 October, the Knesset pushed back the date until 30 January 2024, as a result of the Israel–Hamas war.[26] The election was pushed back again on 31 December to 27 February.[27] The party won two seats in the election.[28]

Notes and References

  1. News: PM said to scrap vote on head for civil service panel amid coalition opposition. The Times of Israel. 17 March 2024. 1 April 2024. Stuart Winer. Staff writer.
  2. News: Religious Zionism and Jewish Home parties merge. 3 August 2023. 14 October 2023. Arutz Sheva. Hezki. Baruch.
  3. Web site: Religious Zionism to merge with Jewish Home. Troy. Fritzhand. 3 August 2023. 14 October 2023. The Jerusalem Post.
  4. Web site: Hardliner Smotrich wins race to lead influential Jewish Home sub-faction. The Times of Israel. Jacob. Magid. 14 January 2019. 15 October 2023.
  5. Web site: Far-right Otzma Yehudit accuses Jewish Home of not honoring election pact. 20 June 2019. 15 October 2023. The Times of Israel. Staff writer.
  6. Web site: Yamina party officially splits into New Right, Jewish Home-National Union . . 10 October 2019 . 15 October 2023 . Raoul. Wootliff.
  7. Web site: New Right, United Right reach final agreement on joint run. Israel National News. en. 15 October 2023. 29 July 2019. Staff.
  8. Web site: United Right to run under name "Yemina". Arutz Sheva. 12 August 2019. 15 October 2023.
  9. Web site: Jewish Home party, far-right Otzma Yehudit reunite ahead of third elections. Jacob Magid. Staff writer. Staff writer. The Times of Israel. en-US. 15 October 2023. 20 December 2019. 20 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191220142453/https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-home-party-far-right-otzma-yehudit-reunite-ahead-of-third-elections/. live.
  10. News: Bennett, Peretz, Smotrich agree to joint run without Ben Gvir. 15 January 2020. Arutz Sheva. 15 October 2023.
  11. Web site: "Post" poll shows mergers capable of bringing down Netanyahu. Gil. Hoffman. The Jerusalem Post. 8 January 2021. 15 October 2023.
  12. Web site: Far-right parties led by Smotrich and Ben Gvir, a Kahane disciple, join forces. The Times of Israel. 3 February 2021. 17 October 2023.
  13. Web site: As anti-gay MKs sworn in, activists fear ‘step backwards’ on LGBT rights. The Times of Israel. 6 April 2021. 30 October 2023. Nir Kafri. Alexandra Vardi.
  14. Web site: After joint run, Religious Zionism party splits into three factions. The Times of Israel. 20 November 2022. 30 October 2023.
  15. Web site: Bennett's Yamina party formally splits. Gil. Hoffman. 20 January 2021. 15 October 2023. The Jerusalem Post.
  16. Web site: 39 parties register for elections; Jewish Home spurns Smotrich, will back Yamina. 5 February 2021. 16 October 2023. The Times of Israel.
  17. Web site: למרות מאמצי נתניהו, הבית היהודי תומכת בבנט ולא תתמודד. 5 February 2022. 15 October 2023. Ynet.
  18. Web site: Shaked's search for a new political path could lead back to Jewish Home. The Times of Israel. Carrie. Keller-Lynn. 11 September 2022. 14 October 2023.
  19. Web site: Zionist Spirit's Shaked and Hendel end their short-lived political partnership. Staff writer. . 11 September 2022. 14 October 2023.
  20. Web site: Shaked signs deal for joint run with Jewish Home. Arutz Sheva. Hezki. Baruch. 13 September 2022. 14 October 2023.
  21. Web site: 48 days to the elections: Jewish Home Central Committee approves agreement with Shaked. Arutz Sheva. 14 September 2022. 14 October 2023. Hezki. Baruch.
  22. Web site: Netanyahu won 8-seat majority over his opponents despite near-parity in raw votes. Jeremy. Sharon. 3 November 2022. 13 October 2023. The Times of Israel.
  23. Web site: הפתעה בירושלים: מגעים לאיחוד בין אנשי סמוטריץ' לחגית משה. Kipa. 14 October 2023.
  24. Web site: מרכז הבית היהודי אישר את ההסכם לפירוק המפלגה. Srugim. 16 October 2023. 20 August 2023.
  25. Web site: Religious Zionism Party to Merge with Jewish Home for Local Elections. The Jewish Press. 3 August 2023. 14 October 2023. Hana. Julian.
  26. Web site: 23 October 2023 . Wartime Knesset pushes municipal elections to January 30, instead of next week. 9 January 2024. The Times of Israel. en. Keller-Lynn. Carrie.
  27. Web site: 31 December 2023 . Municipal elections delayed again due to war, to be held February 27. 9 January 2024 . The Times of Israel. en. Sokol . Sam.
  28. Web site: In first, ultra-Orthodox parties win majority on Jerusalem city council . . 3 March 2024. 29 February 2024.

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