Archiv: party mergers / lists

31.07.2022 - 06:38 [ Haaretz ]

Gantz Is Expecting Lapid to Bow Out Gracefully Once Again

Gantz is expecting Lapid to be the silver platter on which his government will rest. He’s expecting Lapid to bow out gracefully a fourth time.

First, Lapid gave up on leading Kahol Lavan (back when it was a joint ticket). Then he gave up on a rotation as prime minister should it win. Then he let Naftali Bennett be the first prime minister in the outgoing rotation government. As far as Gantz and his supporters are concerned, that’s Lapid’s purpose – to be an indefatigable capitulator, the person who provides springboards and makes governments for others.

11.07.2022 - 15:26 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Gantz and Sa‘ar sign political merger in bid to take votes from Lapid

Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope Party are merging, the two announced in a press conference on Sunday night.

“Today we are laying the foundation stone of the next government,” Gantz said. “The edges and extremes have set the tone for too long, and the Israeli center remained without a voice.”

06.02.2021 - 20:37 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Election: At Netanyahu‘s Urging, Kahanist Party Joins Forces With Far-right Slate

The far-right Kahanist party, Otzma Yehudit, announced on Wednesday that it will run on a joint slate with the National Union Party in Israel‘s March election.

National Union said that they are still in talks with the far-right Habayit Hayehudi party and welcome a merger.

16.01.2021 - 17:39 [ Haaretz ]

Israel’s New Fab Four Must Unite Now

But Huldai, Nissenkorn, Shelah and Zelekha should unite already and create a sense of excitement, one even spurred by passion, not a sad compromise among wallflowers at a dance who will settle for anything with two feet.

14.01.2020 - 19:59 [ Haaretz ]

For Israel‘s Left, Jewish-Arab Partnership ‚Unwanted,‘ Activists Charge After Merger

In contrast, the Joint List of Arab-majority parties did not conceal its satisfaction over the move. They sent their blessing to Meretz and Labor over the union, taking into account Israel’s larger political context, but also for probably boosting participation in the Arab electorate. “Members of the Zionist left who believe in Jewish-Arab partnership and in social justice are welcome to join the Joint List,” said Hadash MK Aida Touma-Sliman.

14.01.2020 - 07:53 [ Times of Israel ]

Jewish Home members approve merger with far-right Otzma Yehudit

Vote by right-wing party’s central committee also paves way for alliance with Betzalel Smotrich’s National Union

14.01.2020 - 07:33 [ israelnationalnews.com ]

Barak: Leaving Shaffir out is a ‚serious mistake‘

Former Prime Minister and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Sunday welcomed the expected union between the Labor and Meretz parties, but expressed concern over the fact that Green Movement chairwoman Stav Shaffir was left out of the alliance.

14.01.2020 - 07:30 [ i24news.tv ]

Israel‘s two historic left-wing parties announce merger

Leaders of the Labor-Gesher and Meretz parties, Amir Peretz and Nitzan Horowitz, stood alongside each other as they announced their merger at a press conference held in Beit Sokolov in Tel Aviv on Monday evening.

“If you want to vote Right you can vote for Likud or Blue and White,” Horowitz said in a tongue-in-cheek manner, placing Benny Gantz’s alliance together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s right-wing base.

20.12.2019 - 17:20 [ Haaretz ]

Kahanists Gear Up for Third Israeli Election With Far-right Merger

„We must not reach a situation in which one of [the right-wing] parties doesn’t pass the electoral threshold, thus wasting thousands right-wing votes,“ the statement added.

In addition, it said that Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Rafi Peretz and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir call on National Union‘s Bezalel Smotrich to „Close ranks as soon as today, and join the ranks of religious Zionism. National Union is an inseparable part of the Union of Right-Wing Parties.“

30.07.2019 - 15:30 [ Haaretz ]

Far-right Parties Seal Election Merger, Commit to Backing Netanyahu-led Coalition

The Hayamin Hehadash and Union of Right-Wing Parties announced Monday they would run on a joint ticket in September’s election under the name United Right, following a meeting of party leaders Ayelet Shaked, Naftali Bennett, Rafi Peretz and Bezalel Smotrich.

28.07.2019 - 12:12 [ JTA.org ]

New left-wing alliance including Ehud Barak aims to unseat Netanyahu in Israel’s elections

The united slate announced Thursday has the far-left Meretz party running with Barak’s new Israel Democratic Party and Stav Shaffir, who left the Labor Party, under the Democratic Camp moniker. It also hopes to bring Tzipi Livni, a former foreign minister, out of political retirement.

What it means: While Democratic Camp won’t overtake Netanyahu’s Likud and his right-wing camp, it could combine with the center-left Blue and White party to ensure that Benny Gantz, a former military chief of staff, is tapped to form the government.

27.07.2019 - 16:31 [ Haaretz ]

New Israeli Center-left Alliance Should Take a Page Out of the American Politics Playbook

An enormous and fundamental political battle is breaking out throughout the democratic world, and in Israel, too.

26.07.2019 - 10:26 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Polls show Democratic Union Party to net 8-12 seats

Horowitz said the party would be left-wing and proud, and would not join any right-wing government, even one not led by Netanyahu. The top goal of the party in the agreement its leaders signed was reaching a peace agreement.

“The Israeli Left has returned to be large and influential, and the days of kissing up to the Right are over,” he promised.

26.07.2019 - 10:14 [ Haaretz ]

Democratic Union Leaders Launch Campaign: Left Has Never Been Stronger; Netanyahu – Your Time Is Up

(25.07.2019)

Horowitz says alliance is ‚setting out on a path that will lead to regime change in Israel‘; Barak, placed 10th on slate, vows to ‚give Netanyahu a fight,‘ while Shaffir calls for Israeli Arabs to see union as their allies

26.07.2019 - 10:08 [ theStar.com ]

Former PM Barak, others join forces before Israel’s ‘do-over’ elections

(25.07.2019)

The newly formed “Democratic Union” said in a joint statement it would be made up of Barak’s “Democratic Israel” faction, the dovish Meretz party and senior Labor Party official Stav Shaffir.

27.02.2019 - 19:34 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu‘s Mussolini-style ‚Red Menace‘ Scare Tactics Threaten Israeli Democracy

After successfully instilling public opinion with an automatic association between “the left” and disloyalty in the service of malevolent foreigners, Netanyahu and his Likud messengers are studiously attaching the stigma to their political rivals including, most ludicrously, former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and his newly-formed Blue and White party, which would be classified as center-right by any normal standard. For those too dense to comprehend, Netanyahu now insists on expanding the term “left” with the arguably racist determiner “backed by Arabs” to drive home the opposition’s subversive treachery.

27.02.2019 - 19:31 [ Haaretz ]

‘A Lamentable Failure’: Dozens of Orthodox Rabbis Condemn Netanyahu for Deal With Kahanists

(25.2.2019) Last week, the remnants of the National Religious Party – known in its latest incarnation as Habayit Hayehudi – merged with Otzma Yehudit, a party whose members embrace the racist ideology of the late Kahane and are disciples of his. The party he originally founded, known as Kach, is outlawed in Israel. The alliance was pushed by Netanyahu, who feared that without the Kahanists joining their ranks, Habayit Hayehudi might not reach the electoral threshold, jeopardizing his ability to form a right-wing majority bloc after the April 9 election.

23.02.2019 - 14:06 [ Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין / Twitter ]

In this 1984 video, then PM Shamir and entire Likud walk out of Knesset as Meir Kahane speaks. When people wonder why Kahanists aren’t outlawed now the way they were then, it’s because the ruling powers in Israel have implemented the racist, violent ideology of Meir Kahane.

23.02.2019 - 13:46 [ Kommunistische Partei von Israel ]

Hadash and Ta’al Join Forces towards April General Elections

The Socialist Arab-Jewish Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash) reached an agreement on Thursday night, February 21, with veteran MK Ahmad Tibi’s Arab Movement for Renewal party (Ta’al) to run on a joint ticket in this coming April’s parliamentary elections for the 21st Knesset.

23.02.2019 - 13:31 [ American Jewish Committee ]

AJC Statement on Otzma Yehudit Party

American Jewish Committee (AJC) does not normally comment on political parties and candidates during an election. But with the announcement that Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”), a new political party formed by longtime followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, is now seeking election to the Knesset, we feel compelled to speak out.

23.02.2019 - 13:25 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Now Endorses Jewish Fascism. U.S. Jews, Cut Your Ties With Him Now

Netanyahu lost his moral compass years ago, but his electoral deal with Israel‘s most extreme racists is a moment of crisis, and a test, for American Jews. Don‘t fail it

23.02.2019 - 13:11 [ israelnationalnews.com ]

‚Union of the Right-Wing Parties‘ submits Knesset list

(21.2.2019)

The order of candidates is:

1. Rabbi Rafi Peretz (Jewish Home)
2. Bezalel Smotrich (National Union)
3. Motti Yogev (Jewish Home)
4. Ofir Sofer (National Union)
5. Michael Ben Ari (Otzma Yehudit)
6. Idit Silman (Jewish Home)
7. Orit Strook (National Union)
8. Itamar Ben Gvir (Otzma Yehudit)
9. Yossi Cohen (National Union)
10. Davidi Ben Zion (Jewish Home)

23.02.2019 - 13:01 [ Haaretz / Youtube ]

Followers of the racist Rabbi Kahane might make it to the Knesset

(video)

22.02.2019 - 19:54 [ Washington Post ]

Netanyahu’s election rivals merge as Israeli leader makes pact with extreme right

One of those factions is Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, made up of followers of the late Meir Kahane, an ultranationalist American Israeli rabbi. Israeli commentators and U.S. Jewish groups immediately decried the move, saying the faction was clearly an offshoot of Kahane’s Kach party, a group that is designated a terrorist organization by the State Department and banned in Israel.

22.02.2019 - 19:51 [ Haaretz ]

New Blue and White Party Projected to Beat Netanyahu in Upcoming Election

Also part of the Blue and White party alliance is Moshe Ya‘alon‘s Telem, which made an alliance with Israel Resilience last month.

If the new faction wins the election, Gantz and Lapid would both serve as Israel‘s Prime Minister. Gantz will serve for the first two and a half years while Lapid will be foreign minister and Ya‘alon will lead the Defense Ministry.

22.02.2019 - 19:42 [ israelnationalnews.com ]

Poll: Gantz-Lapid 35, Likud 32