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National camp

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In Israeli politics, the national camp (Hebrew: המחנה הלאומי) or right-wing bloc is an informal coalition of nationalist and right-wing, religious conservative political parties that since 1977 has frequently co-operated to form governments.[1]

The coalition is led by Likud, and includes parties to its political right as well as religious parties. Generally, the two Haredi parties (Shas and the United Torah Judaism alliance) align with Likud. In the past, the coalition has included the National Religious Party, the National Union, Gesher, Tkuma, The Jewish Home, the New Right, Yisrael Beiteinu (until late 2019) and Zehut.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Right-wing bloc

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Following the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a "right-wing bloc" for the purposes of coalition negotiations, consisting of Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism and Yamina, that would support Netanyahu as Prime Minister.[8] In February 2021, Yamina left the bloc to pursue negotiations with opposition parties, and the Religious Zionist Party, which had split from Yamina, also declined to sign on, despite supporting Netanyahu as Prime Minister.[9] However, the Religious Zionist Party later rejoined the bloc and participated in bloc meetings.[10]

Following the fall of the Netanyahu government in June 2021, the four parties of the right-wing bloc went into the opposition, but continued to hold regular joint meetings in Netanyahu's office.[11][12]

The bloc returned to power under Netanyahu's leadership following the 2022 Israeli legislative election, forming the thirty-seventh government of Israel.[13]

Composition

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Current

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Name Years Position Ideology Leader MKs
Likud 1977–present Centre-right to right-wing Conservatism Benjamin Netanyahu
32 / 120
Shas 1984–present Right-wing Religious conservatism
(Sephardi-Haredi)
Aryeh Deri
11 / 120
United Torah Judaism[a] 1992–present Right-wing Religious conservatism
(Ashkenazi-Haredi)
Yitzhak Goldknopf
7 / 120
Mafdal – Religious Zionism[b] 2023–present Right-wing to Far-right Religious Zionism
Ultranationalism
Bezalel Smotrich
7 / 120
Otzma Yehudit 2013–present Far-right Kahanism Itamar Ben-Gvir
6 / 120
Noam 2019–present Far-right Religious Zionism
Social conservatism
Avi Maoz
1 / 120

^ a: Includes Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah.
^ b: Merger of National Union-Tkuma and The Jewish Home.

Right-wing parties not in the bloc

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Name Years Position Ideology Leader MKs
Yisrael Beiteinu 1999–2019 Centre-right to right-wing National liberalism Avigdor Lieberman
6 / 120
New Hope Centre-right to right-wing Conservatism
National liberalism
Gideon Sa'ar
4 / 120

In January 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested he was planning to form a "new national camp" with Yamina, Yisrael Beiteinu and New Hope, excluding Likud.[14] The three parties parted their ways during the collapse of 36th Cabinet of Israel.

In August 2024, Gideon Sa'ar, the leader of New Hope, called for the unification of what he described as the "liberal right-wing camp", which would also include Yisrael Beiteinu and Bennett's New Right.[15]

The national camp in the Knesset

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before 1977
Knesset Years Leader MKs
1 1949–1951 Menachem Begin
38 / 120
2 1951–1955 Peretz Bernstein
43 / 120
3 1955–1959 Menachem Begin
45 / 120
4 1959–1961 Menachem Begin
43 / 120
5 1961–1965 Menachem Begin
52 / 120
6 1965–1969 Menachem Begin
48 / 120
7 1969–1974 Menachem Begin
50 / 120
8 1974–1977 Menachem Begin
58 / 120
after 1977
Knesset Years Leader MKs
9 1977–1981 Menachem Begin
63 / 120
10 1981–1984 Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir
64 / 120
11 1984–1988 Yitzhak Shamir
60 / 120
12 1988–1992 Yitzhak Shamir
65 / 120
13 1992–1996 Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu
59 / 120
14 1996–1999 Benjamin Netanyahu
64 / 120
15 1999–2003 Benjamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon
60 / 120
16 2003–2006 Ariel Sharon
69 / 120
17 2006–2009 Benjamin Netanyahu
50 / 120
18 2009–2013 Benjamin Netanyahu
65 / 120
19 2013–2015 Benjamin Netanyahu
61 / 120
20 2015–2019 Benjamin Netanyahu
67 / 120
21 2019–2019 Benjamin Netanyahu
65 / 120
22 2019–2020 Benjamin Netanyahu
55 / 120
23 2020–2021 Benjamin Netanyahu
58 / 120
24 2021–2022 Benjamin Netanyahu
59 / 120
25 2022–present Benjamin Netanyahu
64 / 120

References

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  1. ^ Shamir, Michal (2017). The Elections in Israel 2015. Taylor & Francis. p. 77.
  2. ^ Shamir, Michal (2017). The Elections in Israel 2015. Taylor & Francis. p. 83.
  3. ^ Orkibi, Eithan (2017). Israel at the Polls 2013: Continuity and Change in Israeli Political Culture. Routledge.
  4. ^ "Revived Labor Party To Bury Barak's Career". Arutz Sheva. 14 September 2011.
  5. ^ "Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked quit Jewish Home to set up new party". The Jewish Chronicle. 30 December 2018.
  6. ^ "Zehut Party submits slate, will not join United Right". Jewish News Syndicate. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Israel's 35th government deal". TV7. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Netanyahu: It's either my right-wing bloc, or a dangerous Arab-backed government". The Times of Israel.
  9. ^ "Haredi parties pledge loyalty to Netanyahu; Smotrich's Religious Zionism doesn't". The Times of Israel.
  10. ^ "Netanyahu calls emergency meeting of right-wing bloc". 3 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Netanyahu: We will topple the 'fraudulent' Bennett government". Haaretz.
  12. ^ "Despite resigning as MK in plea deal, Deri to continue leading Shas Knesset activity". Times of Israel. 27 January 2022.
  13. ^ "Netanyahu-led right-wing bloc wins Israeli election".
  14. ^ "Bennett said to eye 'new national camp' with coalition partners Liberman, Sa'ar". Times of Israel. 29 January 2022.
  15. ^ "Liberman, Sa'ar hold concrete merger negotiations - report". Jerusalem Post. 4 August 2024.