Political Parties - Fanack Chronicle Political Parties October 28th, 2013 / December 12th, 2016 Political Parties The current nineteenth Knesset , elected on 22 January 2013, is made up of twelve political parties. A number of new political parties were founded ahead of the 2013 elections . Yesh Atid (There is a Future) was founded by former anchor man Yair Lapid. The party aims to fight corruption, improve the middle class’ economic position and mandate that all Israelis perform national service. Former Kadima leader and former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni established HaTnua (The Movement) as a diplomatic alternative to Netanyahu’s Likud . The ultra-nationalist HaBayit HaYehudi (The Jewish Home), led by Naftali Bennett, gave Likud a run for its votes.

In order of number of seats the nineteenth Knesset is composed of: Likud (Consolidation)/ Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) (right-wing/extreme-right wing, Zionist, 31 seats out of a total of 120 Knesset seats, 20 of which went to Likud; the remaining 11 went to Yisrael Beiteinu); Yesh Atid (centrist, Zionist, 19 seats); Israeli Labour Party (or HaAvoda, centrist, Zionist 15 seats); HaBayit HaYehudi (extreme-right wing, Zionist, 12 seats); Shas (Sfarad’s Guards [of the Torah], Sephardic ultra-Orthodox, 11 seats); United Torah Judaism (Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox, Zionist, 7 seats); HaTnua (right wing, Zionist, 6 seats); Meretz (Energy, centre-left, Zionist, 6 seats); Hadash (New, left wing, non-Zionist, 4 seats); United Arab List (or Ra’am-Ta’al)/ Arab Movement for Renewal (Palestinian, non-Zionist, 4

 seats); Balad (the Land; Palestinian, non-Zionist, 3 seats); and Kadima (Forward, right wing, Zionist, 2 seats).

A range of other parties did not succeed in passing the threshold. Voter turnout was 67.8 percent (64.7 percent in 2009); among Israeli Palestinians it was 56 percent (53.4 percent in 2009), according to the Central Elections Committee (election results). On 14 March 2013 a coalition government was formed, made up of Likud/Yisrael Beiteinu, Yesh Atid, HaBayit HaYehudi and HaTnua, which between them held 68 seats out of a total of 120 Knesset seats. Four days later it won a vote of confidence in the Knesset and was sworn in later that day. Benjamin Netanyahu , the leader of Likud, remained Prime Minister . Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs due to corruption charges in December 2012. Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) became Minister of Finance , while Naftali Bennett (HaBayit HaYehudi) was appointed as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour , as well as Minister of Religious Services .

Tzipi Livni of HaTnua (The Movement) became Israel’s chief negotiator with the Palestinian National Authority. The Knesset in West Jerusalem Likud Likud (Consolidation) was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin as an alliance of a number of small right wing and liberal parties. Likud’s first success was its victory in the general elections of 1977, as a result of which Begin became the first non-socialist Prime Minister of Israel. In 2005, after a long political struggle with opponents within the party, and after Labour had left the governing coalition, the then leader of Likud, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, announced he would leave the party and would found a new centrist party under the name of Kadima.He was succeeded by Benjamin Netanyahu, who since 2009 holds the post of Prime Minister.

Yisrael Beiteinu Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) was founded in 1999 by Avigdor Lieberman , former director-general of Likud, who left this party as a result of misgivings about concessions Prime Minister Netanyahu made to the Palestinian National Authority in 1997 in the so-called Wye River Memorandum . Yisrael Beiteinu is a nationalist party on the extreme right that essentially serves the interests of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, of whom more than 800,000 entered Israel in the 1990-1997 period. In the 2009 and 2013 elections the party joined Netanyahu’s coalition government. Yesh Atid Yesh Atid (There is a Future) was founded in 2012 by former anchor man Yair Lapid and functions as a political platform for the secular middle class. In the 2013 election, the party came out as the big winner. Yesh Atid advocates among others economic and educational reform, the drafting of all Israelis in the Armed Forces (i.e.

including yeshiva students), instituting civil marriage, and a fight against corruption. In 2013 it joined Netanyahu’s coalition government. Israeli Labour Party Israeli Labour Party (HaAvoda). From the foundation of the State of Israel until the 1970s the Israeli Labour Party (formerly called Mapai, or Land of Israel Workers’ Party) was the major political force in the country. Mapai was founded in 1930. One of the founding fathers was David Ben-Gurion, the de facto leader of the Jewish community (or Yishuv) in Palestine before 1948 and the country’s Prime Minister (with one two-year interruption) from 1948 until 1963. In 1968, Mapai merged with two smaller leftist parties in the Israeli Labour Party. Until its defeat in the 1977 general elections, all Israeli Prime Ministers were members of Mapai and later of Labour. Afterwards the party returned as junior partner in several coalition governments. The current party leader is Shelly Yachimovich.

HaBayit HaYehudi HaBayit HaYehudi (The Jewish Home), which shortly before the 2013 general election merged with the like minded Tkuma (Resurrection) party, is an extreme-right wing, ultra-nationalist, religious Zionist party and can be regarded as the mouthpiece of the organized settler movement. In 2013 it joined Netanyahu’s coalition government. Shas Shas (also known as The Worldwide Sephardic Association of Torah Guardians) is a conservative religious party that was formed in 1984 as an alliance of several small religious political parties. One of the founders was Rabbi Ovada Yosef, a former Chief Rabbi of Israel. Shas strongly advocates the strict application of the Halacha, the Jewish laws originating from the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. The party is led by Aryeh Deri. Electoral Law The electoral system in Israel is based on nation-wide proportional representation: the number of seats that each list receives in the Knesset is proportional to the number of votes. A party has to pass the qualifying threshold, which is currently 2 percent. Until the elections of 1992 the qualifying threshold was only 1 percent.

The election system was inherited from the rigid system of proportional representation of the Yishuv, the organized Jewish community in Palestine before and during the British Mandate . The justification given for the large number of parties resulting from the system was that ‘in a period in which major, far-reaching and rapid changes were still taking place in the population make-up as a result of immigration, it was important to enable maximal representation for various groups and opinions’. (See Electoral System in Israel , Israeli government website) The electoral system is based primarily on two laws: the Basic Law on the Knesset of 1958 and the Knesset Elections Law of 1969. The Knesset elections are supposed to take place once every four years. The Knesset can decide, by simple majority, to dissolve itself and call for early elections. Since the Parties Law of 1992, a party has to be legally registered with the Party Registrar in order to participate in the elections. A list which acts against ‘the existence of Israel as the state of the Jewish people’ or against its democratic nature, a list which incites racism, or a list which ‘supports the armed struggle of a terrorist organization against Israel’ cannot run in the elections.

Suffrage is universal among Israeli citizens of 18 years and older, but compulsory voting does not exist. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the members of the Knesset Photo Shutterstock Copyright 2006 - 2017 Fanack | All Rights Reserved Shas Political Party | Jewish Virtual Library Tweet Shas (Hebrew acronym for "Shomrei Sfarad," literally meaning "Sephardi Guards") is an ultra-orthodox political party in Israel founded by Rav Ovadiah Yosef in 1984. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, and the riots and persecutions that resulted against the Jews of Arab countries, massive numbers of Middle-Eastern Jews were brought to Israel. The Jews from these Sephardic Jewish communities did not experience movements for religious reform like the ones that arose in Western Europe or America and the main threat to their religious tradition came from the secular influences that they encountered under colonial rule, especially under French rule in Morocco , Tunisia and Algeria.

The Israeli leadership at the time, consisting largely of secular Ashkenazic Jews , often viewed the religious lifestyles of their "oriental" cousins as another manifestation of the cultural primitiveness that would have to be shed as part of their integration into a modern Western society. During these first few decades of Israeli statehood, these "oriental" Jews did not establish their own political or religious movements or institutions, and most were absorbed into the established Ashkenazic bodies. They were usually educated in the State Religious School System and the main religious political movements, the Aguddat Israel and the Mizrachi (which later evolved into the National Religious Party ), had few Sephardim among their leadership. By the mid-1970's the ethnic divisions between Ashkenazic and Sepharadic Israelis became a major social issue. In the religious sphere this led to the creation of Sephardic parallels to the mainstream religious parties. In protest of the small representation of Sephardic Jews in the religious political parties, former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Ovadiah Yosef founded Shas in 1984 with its own Council of Torah Sages.

In the 1984 elections Shas won four seats in the Knesset amd in the 1999 election , Shas won an unexpected 17seats and, for the first time, posed a threat to the two leading parties. The stated purpose of the party is to "return the crown to the former glory", and to repair what it sees as the "continued economic and social discrimination against the Sephardic population of Israel". Focusing on the needs of Sephardic Orthodox Israelis, Shas established its own government-funded education system called El ha-Ma'ayan, which became popular in poor Sephardic towns, increasing the party's popular support. Shas advocates a state run according to Halakha , Jewish religious law, and actively engages in the baal teshuva movement, encouraging non-Orthodox Israelis of Sephardic and Mizrahi-Jewish heritage to adopt a Haredi Jewish lifestyle. Following the 2009 elections , in which Shas won 11 seats, the party joined the governing coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was awarded four cabinet posts .

Eli Yishai , the leader of the party, became a Deputy Prime Minister as well as Minister of Internal Affairs. In the January 2013 elections , Shas again won 11 seats while still under the leadership of Yishai . The Ultra-Orthodox Shas party was rocked with controversy leading up to the 2015 elections. The party's head, Aryeh Deri, submitted his resignation in December 2014, following the release of audio recordings featuring the party's founder and spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef berating him. Supporters urged him to reconsider, and one month later Deri announced that he was rescinding his resignation. Deri made headlines once more when he cancelled his plans to attend the Israel Democracy Conference, being held on February 17, stating that the event had become divisive. Likud and HaBayat HaYeudi party leaders had cancelled their attendance at the Conference during the week prior, though in a less public fashion. The Shas party barely made it into the 20th Knesset, placing seventh and receiving enough votes for seven seats in the 20th Knesset .

Netanyahu, meeting Shas, complains of coalition 'complications' | The Times of Israel Yair Lapid Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu renewed coalition negotiations Sunday, meeting with Shas’s leaders after a Saturday night exchange of recriminations with Jewish Home’s Naftali Bennett. In the meeting with Shas heads Eli Yishai, Aryeh Deri and Ariel Attias, Netanyahu said he’d like to see the ultra-Orthodox party join the coalition, but that “political complications” were standing in his way. Netanyahu received on Saturday a 14-day extension to form a government from President Shimon Peres. The prime minister now has until March 16 to form a governing coalition, or see the task assigned to a rival politician or face new elections. On Saturday, Bennett accused Netanyahu of shunning the Jewish Home party, saying that “for days after the election the Likud refused to speak to the Jewish Home.

They boycotted us… we expected to be a natural partner and to be the first to enter the Netanyahu government.” Bennett alleged in a Facebook post that the message from the Likud has been that the “religious Zionist party won’t enter the coalition, at any price.” Jewish Home’s subsequent agreement with the Yesh Atid party to join either the government or the opposition together has since forced Netanyahu into a corner. “We don’t boycott people,” responded chief Likud negotiator David Shimron on Sunday. “They are trying to punish us because Bennett’s phone rang after Gal-on’s,” he said, referring to the highly publicized incident where after the January 22 elections, Netanyahu called Bennett only after holding phone conversations with several other party leaders, including the left-wing Meretz head Zahava Gal-on. “If Netanyahu had decided to form a nationalistic coalition after the elections, the Jewish Home would have joined right away,” Jewish Home MK Ayelet Shaked told Channel 10 on Sunday. “Unfortunately, his aspiration was to send the Jewish Home to the opposition.” Shaked also revealed that at the same time her party held discussions with Yesh Atid, it also discussed alliance possibilities with Shas, but was rejected.

Netanyahu’s efforts to cobble together a stable coalition have been immensely complicated by the alliance between the Jewish Home and Yesh Atid parties, which are working together to demand new legislation to draft most ultra-Orthodox young men. The ultra-Orthodox parties are opposed to a drastic change, and Netanyahu has thus far been unable to resolve this and other differences between his potential coalition parties. Shas MK Yitzhak Cohen charged Sunday that the settlers, who make up much of the Jewish Home party’s core constituency, were responsible for most of Israel’s security demands and therefore Jewish Home has no right to talk about other sectors’ failure to share their part of the security burden. Cohen also claimed that the only common denominator between Jewish Home and Yesh Atid is their “boycott of the Haredim” and wondered aloud, in an interview on Israel Radio, how they would like it if Haredim boycotted goods produced in the settlements.

The ultra-Orthodox parties have traditionally been allies of Netanyahu, but Yishai said on Sunday morning via his Facebook page that he expected a government to form in the coming days without the ultra-Orthodox parties, and accused Bennett of “sacrificing the future of the settlements on the altar of hatred of the ultra-Orthodox.” The alliance between Bennett and Yesh Atid head Yair Lapid has drawn fire from several quarters, with accusations that Bennett, as head of a religious Zionist party opposed to a Palestinian state, has sold out by partnering with Yesh Atid, which supports a two-state solution. On Saturday, Yishai accused Yesh Atid of focusing solely on ultra-Orthodox issues, as opposed to the economic issues he campaigned on. As of Sunday morning, with his various potential coalition partners deeply at odds, Netanyahu had signed up only Hatnua and its six seats to his coalition, and the differences between the other parties appeared very hard to reconcile.

But were Netanyahu to decide to exclude the ultra-Orthodox parties, however reluctantly, his Likud-Beytenu party (31 seats) could expect to finalize coalition terms with Yesh Atid (19 seats) and Jewish Home (12 seats) fairly rapidly, and thus gain a governing majority. Alternatively, he could try again to pressure Labor’s Shelly Yachimovich to join a coalition without Jewish Home and Yesh Atid, but with the two ultra-Orthodox parties. Yachimovich has met several times with Netanyahu, but emerged each time to restate that their political differences are too wide to bridge. If Netanyahu fails to form a governing coalition by March 16, US President Barack Obama may cancel the working visit he has scheduled for March 20. Such a cancellation of Obama’s first visit to Israel as president would be hugely embarrassing for the Jewish state, whose leaders have long urged Obama to come. Israel’s alliance with the United States is by far its most important international partnership. The two leaderships have said they would consult on efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear drive, the instability in Syria, ways to revive peace talks with the Palestinians, and other vital issues.

A guide to the main political parties vying for seats in Israel’s parliament - The Washington Post A guide to the main political parties vying for seats in Israel’s parliament The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! A guide to the main political parties vying for seats in Israel’s parliament Zionist Union This political alliance links Isaac Herzog’s Labor Party and the Hatnuah party of Tzipi Livni, a former Israeli foreign minister, justice minister and Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiator. The Zionist Union has taken the lead in polls on the back of popular dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, fueled most keenly by Israel’s economic woes. Herzog has emerged as the fulcrum of the anybody-but-Netanyahu movement. Likud Netanyahu’s influential right-wing party has campaigned primarily on his security agenda. But the prime minister’s pronounced hawkishness, highlighted by a polarizing speech on Iran this month in Washington, has failed to check Herzog’s rise.

Joint List Some 20 percent of Israel’s nearly 6 million eligible voters are Palestinian, also known as Arab Israelis. For decades, Israel’s Arab parties have been divided by all sorts of political differences — right and left, secularism and Islamism. Now Joint List, a newly united Arab bloc, might win more than a dozen seats in Israel’s parliament, despite Palestinian voter apathy and election boycotting. Yesh Atid The centrist, secularist party led by ex-newscaster Yair Lapid was part of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition until differences between the duo led to a falling-out. Yesh Atid has campaigned on an agenda of domestic economic reform. Lapid has also been outspoken in his opposition to the growing influence of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israeli society. Jewish Home Jewish Home and its leader, tech millionaire Naftali Bennett, are backed by a base of ultranationalists and hard-core settlers in the West Bank. As a minister in Netanyahu’s government, Bennett has spoken out against a two-state solution with the Palestinians. His party is projected to win at least 12 seats and would probably partner again with Likud.

Kulanu Kulanu, another centrist faction, emerged last year as the project of a former Likud minister. Its candidates include Michael Oren, Netanyahu’s former envoy to the United States. Kulanu is expected to win more than 10 seats and may join a coalition with Likud. Shas The party of ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Jews, Shas is the fifth-biggest party in parliament. Its leader has said his party would ally with a Likud-led coalition but wants to see progress for poorer Jews. United Torah Judaism A party of Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox, the UTJ, like Shas, is a reflection of the growing electoral influence of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community on the country’s politics. It would make up a solid right-wing camp in any future Netanyahu-led government. Yisrael Beiteinu Headed by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beiteinu is an ultra-nationalist, secularist party that draws much of its support from immigrants from the former Soviet Union. But this election, polls indicate it might not even cross the threshold of votes needed to win a seat in parliament.

Meretz The woeful state of Meretz, Israel’s traditional secular-leftist party, is a sign of the larger plight of the diminished Israeli left. The party is urging voters who are considering casting their ballot for the Zionist Union to stick with Meretz. It counts Jewish American comedian Sarah Silverman as one of its supporters. world Guide to Israel's political parties - BBC News BBC News Guide to Israel's political parties 21 January 2013 Read more about sharing. Close share panel There are 34 political parties running in the Israeli general election on 22 January for 120 seats in the Knesset or parliament. LIKUD Likud finished in second place in the 2009 general election, with 27 seats, one behind Kadima. Yet it went on to lead the government because Mr Netanyahu was able to draw on the support of several key parties including Yisrael Beitenu and small religious factions to build a coalition. For the 2013 election, Likud and Yisrael Beitenu (Israel is our Home), the party led by Avigdor Lieberman have formed a joint party list , though they have maintained separate political platforms.

Leader: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Founded: September 1973 Likud home page Likud was originally set up in 1973 to challenge the Labour party, the latest in a series of centre-left parties which had governed Israel since its creation in 1948. It was inspired by the ideology of the revisionist Zionist leader, Zev Jabotinsky. Likud first came to power in 1977 and for decades afterwards it alternated in government with Labour. In the 2003 elections, it won convincingly with 38 seats, but then underwent a damaging split in 2005. As Prime Minister Ariel Sharon oversaw Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip, he lost support of many Likud members. He then left to form the centrist party, Kadima, taking prominent moderates with him. This resulted in Likud falling to fourth place in the election in 2006 with only 12 seats. Ideologically, Likud is right-wing and nationalist. It opposed the 1993 Oslo Accord between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

However, in 2009, under pressure from the United States, Mr Netanyahu affirmed his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict with conditions attached. He said: "If we get a guarantee of demilitarisation and if the Palestinians recognise Israel as the Jewish state, we are ready to agree to a real peace agreement". During the last government, headed by Likud, US-led talks with the Palestinians stalled over the issue of expanding Jewish settlements. Israeli policies in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank were a constant source of tension with the Obama administration and European allies. In this election campaign, support for the settlements has remained an important issue for right-wing voters. The Likud election campaign is also relying heavily on the image of Mr Netanyahu as a strong prime minister. In terms of foreign policy, he has asked the world to draw "a clear red line" over Iran's nuclear programme. In terms of domestic policy, Likud is promising changes to the political system, a law for equality in national military service, economic reforms and a continued focus on security.

YISRAEL BEITENU This political party was formed by Moldova-born Avigdor Lieberman in 1999, and draws wide support from Israel's million-strong immigrant community from the former Soviet Union. Like Likud, Yisrael Beitenu claims to be "a national movement with the clear vision to follow in the brave path of [Zionist leader] Zev Jabotinsky [which] fulfils the three cardinal principles of Zionism: Aliyah (Jewish immigration to Israel), settlement and security movements". Leader: Avigdor Lieberman Yisrael Beitenu home page It has often taken controversial positions relating to the Israeli-Arab population and opposed steps in the peace process with the Palestinians. Mr Lieberman lives in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank. Uncertainty surrounding the political future of Mr Lieberman has hung over this election campaign. He is standing, despite having had to step down as foreign minister in December to fight charges of fraud and breach of trust. If he manages to face down the criminal allegations he is expected to secure a top cabinet post. In the last parliament, Yisrael Beitenu was instrumental in pushing legislation that targeted Israel's Arab minority and leftist groups.

This included the so-called Nakba law, which stopped public funding for groups involved in activities that denied Israel's existence as a Jewish state and a commission of inquiry to examine the funding of certain non-governmental organisations . Mr Lieberman has insisted that he backs the creation of "a viable Palestinian state" and has outlined a plan to transfer certain areas with large Arab populations to future Palestinian sovereignty. His party also calls for political reforms and has pressed for a new law that would change the rules on conversions to Judaism . This is a pressing issue for over 300,000 Israeli citizens, mostly Soviet immigrants, who are not Jewish according to strict interpretations of religious law so cannot marry or be buried as Jews in Israel. Yisrael Beitenu proposes that municipal rabbis, who are part of the Orthodox Chief Rabbinate, be allowed to establish conversion courts. However reform and conservative Jewish communities were strongly opposed to its bill and attempts to pass it divided the government. KADIMA Formed in November 2005 by then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Kadima (Forward) was intended as a centrist alternative to existing parties.

Mr Sharon had broken away from Likud after his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip meant he lost the support of its members. Israeli politicians from across the political spectrum joined him in Kadima, including Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni from Likud and Shimon Peres from Labour. At the time the new party filled a political vacuum - the Israeli left had been weakened by the failure of the Camp David peace talks and the second Palestinian intifada, or uprising, and Likud did not accept the international consensus around a two-state solution. The Kadima platform promised to combine a Zionist ideology with bold moves to solve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Leader: Shaul Mofaz Kadima home page At the end of 2005, Mr Olmert took over Kadima after Mr Sharon suffered a series of strokes that left him in a permanent coma. It went on to win the 2006 election with 29 of 120 Knesset seats. However many speculated it could have won more if Mr Sharon, a powerful personality, had been able to stay at the helm.

During his time in office Mr Olmert was criticised for the failures of the 2006 Lebanon War and 2008-9 Gaza war. However he pushed peace negotiations with the Palestinians, with Tzipi Livni acting as chief negotiator, and later claimed that he went further than any other Israeli leader in a deal that he offered. Mr Olmert stepped down as leader of Kadima in late 2008 amid accusations of corruption. Ms Livni replaced him. In early general elections in February 2009, Kadima won the greatest number of seats - one more than Likud - but Ms Livni proved unable to form a new coalition government. Benjamin Netanyahu went on to head the next coalition. While she had been one of Israel's most popular politicians, Ms Livni faced heavy criticism for what was seen as her ineffective term as opposition leader. In March 2012, Kadima members voted to replace her with the former defence minister and army chief of staff, Shaul Mofaz. Meanwhile Mr Mofaz took the surprising decision to join the Likud-led government in May only to leave two months afterwards in a dispute over military conscription for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Heading into this poll, the party appears relatively weak, trailing around the 2% threshold, and has seen several well-known members leave its ranks. SHAS The ultra-Orthodox religious Shas party remains highly influential in Israeli politics. The party's name is an acronym for the Hebrew for Sephardic Guards. It has been described as a kingmaker, having given its support to coalition governments led by both Labour and Likud since it was founded in 1984. In the current parliament it controls 10 seats and holds four cabinet positions including the interior and housing ministers. Its strongest showing was in 1999 when it took 17 seats. Leaders: Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Eli Yishai, Aryeh Deri Founded: 1984 Shas home page Shas comes under the spiritual leadership of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, a former Israeli Sephardi chief rabbi, who heads the Council of Torah Sages. Now 92, he was recently briefly hospitalised after suffering a minor stroke. The party was set up in 1984 to increase the representation of Sephardic Jews in the Knesset.

The Shas slogan is "to return the crown to its ancient glory", meaning to lead Sephardic Jews back to religious observance and the cultural heritage of their forefathers. It works to end prejudice against the Sephardic community and highlights economic issues and social justice. During the election, Shas has used the campaign slogan "we're for those who have not". While the party has indicated it would join another government headed by current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tensions remain high between Shas and Likud. A 2013 budget must involve austerity measures but Shas leaders have opposed cuts to welfare, education and health services without a reduction to the defence budget. LABOUR PARTY After a poor show in the last election when it was reduced to 13 seats, Israel's Labour party is undergoing a revival under new leader Shelly Yachimovich. She took over one year ago after the Defence Minister, Ehud Barak, left his post and the party to form Independence with four other MKs. Leader: Shelly Yachimovich Labour Party home page Ms Yachimovich, a former journalist and talk-show host, has promised wide-scale social and economic reforms.

The Labour list for the upcoming poll includes activists who rose to prominence during the mass economic protests that swept Israel in the summer of 2011, as well as party veterans. Labour says that in government it would end privatisation of public infrastructure and social services and increase the minimum wage. Concerning the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Labour says it will seek a stable peace agreement that would include withdrawal from some Jewish settlements in occupied territory. The party said it would not join a Likud-led coalition after the next elections. Instead, during the campaign, Ms Yachimovich met the head of Hatenua, Tzipi Livni and Yair Lapid of Yesh Atid to discuss a unified centre-left alternative to another Netanyahu-led government. The talks failed to yield results. Labour was established in 1968 when three socialist labour parties joined together, including Mapai, which had controlled the Israeli government since the state was created in 1948. It went on to dominate Israeli politics until its rival, Likud, emerged on the scene and went on to lead its first coalition government in 1977. For decades the two parties alternated in power, although they were occasionally forced to join forces in 'unity governments'.

HATNUA Hatnua home page The former Kadima leader, Tzipi Livni, established this new party in November after briefly leaving frontline politics. She had lost control of Kadima to Shaul Mofaz earlier in the year. Mrs Livni said she wanted "a Zionist party - a liberal, secular and democratic party". The movement has promised to push for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Mrs Livni was formerly foreign minister and chief negotiator with the Palestinians. The party also advocates military conscription for the ultra-Orthodox and better opportunities for young people so they can "live in dignity". There are currently nine members of the Knesset who belong to the movement. During campaigning, Mrs Livni repeatedly criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accused the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list of right-wing "extremism", yet she did not rule out joining them in a coalition government. JEWISH HOME A series of recent polls suggest that in the next election this right-wing, religious party led by Naftali Bennett, could take seats from the Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu whom he previously served as chief of staff.

Mr Bennett, who is 40, was in an elite army unit and is a high-tech entrepreneur. Leader: Naftali Bennett Jewish Home home page Jewish Home, or Habayit Hayehudi, strongly supports the settler movement and has several hard-line settlers on its list. It rejects the notion of an independent Palestinian state. Instead the party is running on a platform to annex 60% of the West Bank known as Area C, where all Jewish settlements are located and which currently falls under Israeli military control. It says Palestinians living there could take Israeli citizenship or move to the other Palestinian-governed 40% of the territory. Settlements are considered illegal under international law but Mr Bennett argues that criticism of them by Western powers is misguided. Last month, Mr Bennett, who still acts as a reservist, generated controversy when he told Israel's Channel 2 that his "conscience" would not allow him to obey orders to evacuate settlements or outposts. Although he qualified his statement by saying he did not publicly call for disobeying orders, he later backtracked. At a rally he called for all political parties to sign a pledge never to evict Jews from their homes.

In his election campaign, Mr Bennett has complained about left-leaning media, condemned what he described as excessive activism of the courts in setting policy and pledged to stop illegal immigration. The party was originally formed by a merger of smaller religious parties and has since seen various divisions and shifts in alliances. YESH ATID This new political party was set up by the former television news anchor, Yair Lapid, when he left his job last year. His father was also a journalist who headed the Shinui Party, which no longer exists. Mr Lapid claims to represent the secular centre in Israel and opposes the power wielded by religious parties in government. Leader: Yair Lapid Yesh Atid home page In particular, Mr Lapid argues that ultra-Orthodox Jews, who make up about 10% of the Israeli population, should share the social burden. They currently enjoy exemptions from military service and welfare benefits that enable men to devote themselves to religious study. The Yesh Atid (There is a Future) leader also insists that the prime minister should hold substantive peace talks with the Palestinians. Negotiations stalled over two years ago because of the issue of Jewish settlements on occupied land.

Mr Lapid backs a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict that would involve almost a complete withdrawal from the West Bank so that only the main settlement blocs would be retained. However he opposes any division of Jerusalem, which both Israel and the Palestinians claim as their capital. UNITED TORAH JUDAISM Two smaller Israeli ultra-Orthodox parties, Degel Hatorah (Flag of the Torah) and Agudat Israel (Union of Israel) formed an alliance to create United Torah Judaism in 1992. It took five seats in the 2009 elections. The faction is non-Zionist and on principle only accepts deputy minister positions in government. Its leader, Yaakov Litzman is deputy health minister. United Torah Judaism works for the interests of the ultra-Orthodox in education and social welfare as well as on specific issues such as national military service. HADASH Hadash , a Hebrew acronym for The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality, is a Jewish and Arab socialist grouping that was set up in 1977. It took four seats in the last Knesset. The party supports a two-state solution, increases in the minimum wage and benefits and ending privatisation of government companies.

Led by Mohammad Barakeh, it also promotes cooperation between Jews and Arabs and the rights of women, minorities and workers. Balad Balad means nation in Arabic and is also an acronym in Hebrew for the National Democratic Assembly. A leftist, anti-Zionist party that promotes Arab nationalism, Balad had three seats in the previous parliament. It was set up in 1995. The Balad MK Hanin Zoabi stirred up controversy by joining activists on the Mavi Marmara trying to break Israel's naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. After Israel's Central Election Committee barred Ms Zoabi from running in this vote she appealed to the Supreme Court, which overturned the decision. The party is led by Jamal Zahalka. Meretz Meretz , meaning energy, was created from an alliance between three left-wing parties - Mapam, Shinui and Ratz in 1992. Its ideology is Zionist and it advocates Israeli withdrawal from the occupied West Bank and a comprehensive new peace agreement. The party also has demands of social justice, environmentalism and greater religious freedom in Israel. It is led by Zahava Gal-On and has three seats in the current Knesset.

Raam Taal A joint list for Raam, the United Arab List, and Taal, the Arab Movement for Renewal. The parties merged to try to increase the representation of Arab-Israelis in parliament. The party was formed in 2006, is led by Ibrahim Sarsour and Ahmed Tibi and has four seats in the current Knesset. A guide to the political parties battling for Israel’s future - The Washington Post A guide to the political parties battling for Israel’s future The inside track on Washington politics. Be the first to know about new stories from PowerPost. Sign up to follow, and we’ll e-mail you free updates as they’re published. You’ll receive free e-mail news updates each time a new story is published. You’re all set! By Ishaan Tharoor By Ishaan Tharoor March 14, 2015 Follow @ishaantharoor An Israeli who supports the Zionist Union party of the center-left screams 'Bibi Go Home' during a rally in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on March 7 under the banner "Israel Needs Change." (Jim Hollander/EPA) [This post has been updated.] Israelis will elect a new parliament March 17.

The main contest pits the right-wing Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against a surprisingly strong challenge from the Zionist Union, a center-left political alliance led by Isaac Herzog of the Labor party . Polls place Herzog's bloc ahead of Likud, but that's no guarantee of victory . Since Israel's first election in 1949, no single party has ever won an outright majority in the 120-seat Knesset, the name for the Israeli parliament. That means smaller political parties -- and there are 26 in total -- play a significant role in shaping the ruling coalition that forms the Israeli government after the ballots get counted. Unlike in some other parliamentary democracies, Israelis don't vote for a specific geographic constituency: Rather, they vote for a slate of candidates represented by a party or coalition of parties. Here's a primer on the main parties vying for seats, and where their allegiances may fall in a future government. Labour Party leader Isaac Herzog, center, and MP Tzipi Livni, right, co-leaders of the Zionist Union list for the upcoming general election, meet people at the outdoor Carmel Market on March 12 in Tel Aviv.

(Jack Guez/AFP/Getty Images) Zionist Union The political alliance links together Herzog's Labor and the Hatnuah party of Tzipi Livni, most recently justice minister, who is an ardent supporter of a two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians. If victorious, the pair would rotate the post of prime minister in two-year terms. The Zionist Union has surged in polls on the back of popular dissatisfaction with Netanyahu, fueled most keenly by Israel's many economic woes. Housing prices and the general cost of living rank among the most urgent concerns for Israeli voters -- something that's a problem for Netanyahu, the leader who some say created this mess. The latest voter surveys suggest Zionist Union could win 24 seats, or two to four more seats than Likud. Herzog, a four-time former government minister, lawyer and a "scion of rabbinical, military and political aristocracy," as my colleagues put it , has emerged as the fulcrum of the Anybody-but-Netanyahu movement. "We are having a deep debate with Netanyahu and his Likud party because it's either we win or he stays on," Herzog told The Post's William Booth and Ruth Eglash.

Five days before Israel's election, opposition Labour Party leader Isaac Herzog receives a warm welcome in Tel Aviv market. (Reuters) Likud The influential, right-wing party has campaigned primarily on Netanyahu's security agenda -- framing the choice for voters as one between a leader who will be tough on Iran and the threat of Islamist militants or a feckless, appeasenick opposition. Likud issued a number of controversial ads , including one showing Islamic State fighters infiltrating Israel should the country turn to the left. But the prime minister's pronounced hawkishness, highlighted by a polarizing speech two weeks ago in Washington, has failed to arrest Herzog's lead. "Our security is at great risk because there is a real danger that we could lose this election," Netanyahu said in one of his last campaign rallies. Israelis pass campaign billboards in Jerusalem showing Netanyahu on March 12. (Jim Hollander/EPA) Joint List Some 20 percent of Israel's nearly 6 million eligible voters are Palestinian, also referred to as Israeli Arabs. For decades, Israel's Arab parties have been divided by all sorts of political differences: between right and left, secularists and Islamists.

But a new law pushed through by Netanyahu's government, which raised the threshold of votes needed to win seats in the Knesset, threatened the survival of the Arab parties. The united Arab bloc -- known as the Joint List -- may win more than a dozen seats in the Knesset, despite past Palestinian voter apathy and previous boycotts of elections. The Joint List has ruled out partnering in a government led by Herzog and would never consider Netanyahu. But Arab politicians could play an important role in supporting a Herzog government even if they remain in the official opposition. Yesh Atid ("There Is a Future") The centrist party is led by the telegenic ex-newscaster Yair Lapid , who served as finance minister in Netanyahu's ruling coalition until differences between the duo led to a falling out and spurred Netanyahu's calls for early elections. Yesh Atid, like other centrist, secularist parties, has campaigned on an agenda of domestic economic reform. Lapid has also been outspoken in his opposition in his call to "share the burden" by pushing ultra-Orthodox Jews here to work and serve in the army, rather than continue to enjoy welfare benefits and army deferrals.

Israeli Economy Minister and head of the right-wing Jewish Home party Naftali Bennett plays guitar and sings during an election campaign gathering for the Jewish community in Kibbutz Kfar Etzion in the Gush Etzion settlement block in the West Bank on March 12. (Menahem Kahana/AFP/Getty Images) Bayit Hayehudi ("Jewish Home") The rise during previous elections of Jewish Home and its leader, tech millionaire Naftali Bennett, is symbolic of Israel's larger lurch toward the right in recent years. Overtly religious and staunchly opposed to a Palestinian sovereignty, Bennett is backed by a base of religious Zionists and the pro-settler camp. As economy minister in Netanyahu's government, Bennett worked against a two-state solution with the Palestinians. His party is projected to win at least 12 seats and would likely partner once more with Likud. Kulanu ("All of Us") Kulanu, another centrist faction, emerged last year as the project of Moshe Kahlon , a former Likud minister. Kahlon became popular with voters after he busted cellphone monopolies and prices of mobile minutes plummeted.

His party's candidates include Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the United States, who rebuked Netanyahu for addressing Congress two weeks ago. Kulanu is expected to win more than 10 seats, and its leader may emerge as the kingmaker who helps Netanyahu or Herzog form the next coalition government. Shas The party of ultra-Orthodox Sephardic Jews, Shas was the fifth-biggest party in the Knesset until it split apart in a fight over leadership. Its leader, the Moroccan-born Aryeh Deri, has already said his party will ally with a Likud-led coalition, but wants to see progress for poorer citizens, particularly those not of Ashkenazi descent . A Shas campaign video, below, poked fun at the complaints of Israel's more secular middle class. United Torah Judaism A party of Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox Jews, the UTJ, like Shas, is a reflection of the growing electoral influence of Israel's ultra-Orthodox or "haredi" community on the country's politics -- driven both by immigration and the higher birth rates of the country's more devout communities.

United Torah could join either a Netanyahu or Herzog coalition, dependning on who else sits in the government and what they are offered. Yisrael Beitenu ("Israel Is Our Home") Headed by current Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Yisrael Beitenu is an ultra-nationalist, secularist party that draws much of its support from immigrants from the former Soviet Union. As my colleagues William Booth and Ruth Eglash reported , Lieberman is in bad shape ahead of the elections, and that's not because of the strident anti-Arab rhetoric that earned him notoriety outside Israel. Instead, his party is suffering from the stigma of corruption scandals and the wariness of non-Russian-speaking Israeli voters. There's a small risk it may not even cross the threshold of votes needed to win a seat in the Knesset. Israel's Foreign Minister and head of Yisrael Beitenu party Avigdor Lieberman speaks to members of the media on a hill overlooking the Gaza Strip as he campaigns in the southern town of Sderot on Feb. 23.

(Amir Cohen/Reuters) Meretz The difficulties facing Meretz, Israel's traditional secular-leftist party, are a sign of the larger plight of the diminished Israeli left. It's now urging voters who are considering casting their ballot for the Zionist Union to stick with them. "We must not lose Meretz," is a rather depressing new campaign slogan . It counts Jewish-American comedian Sarah Silverman as one of its supporters . Related links Parties — Election 2015 Notable Members: Yair Lapid, Yaakov Peri, Shai Peron | See full party list Left the Coalition Background The surprise winner of the second most Knesset seats in the 2013 elections, Yesh Atid was founded by popular television anchor Yair Lapid to appeal to middle-class voters who were frustrated with Israel’s political system. However, as finance minister, Lapid has seen his popularity plummet , perceived by voters as having failed to deliver on his economic promises. The upcoming 2015 elections were triggered after Netanyahu and Lapid were unable to agree on a budget and the prime minister pushed Lapid out of his coalition. Lapid has accused Netanyahu of being “out of touch” with the average Israeli.

Views on Two States Lapid has stressed that “there’s no other game in town but the two-state solution,” and one of his deputies, former Israeli security chief Yaacov Peri, is a major proponent of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks based on the Arab Peace Initiative. As a member of the Netanyahu coalition, Lapid threatened to topple the government over settlement expansion and the prime minister’s resistance to negotiate with the Palestinians. At the same time, Lapid announced his 2013 candidacy in the settlement of Ariel. He has said , “I don’t think that the Arabs want peace,” and that the status of Jerusalem is not up for negotiation. Views on Democracy Lapid opposed the Jewish State Bill on the grounds that it would make non-Jewish Israelis “second-class citizens.” He was criticized in 2013 for making derogatory remarks about Palestinian-Israeli Members of Knesset.

Labor Founded: 1968 Current Seats: 15 Faction alliances: Running on joint 'Zionist Union' list with Hatnuah, in a vote sharing agreement with Meretz Date of Primary Election: January 13, 2015 Notable Members: Isaac Herzog, Shelly Yachimovich, Stav Shaffir | See full Labor/Hatnuah list Background Iterations of Israel’s founding party dominated Israeli politics for the first 29 years of the state’s existence, but it has struggled to remain competitive. It has cycled between eight different party leaders since 2001, when Labor last held the prime ministership. Former Minister Isaac Herzog defeated MK Shelly Yachimovich for the Labor leadership in 2013 after the party’s poor showing at the polls, which some supporters blamed on Yachimovich’s emphasis on economic, rather than diplomatic issues. For the 2015 elections, Herzog has announced a joint slate with Hatnuah’s Tzipi Livni.

Views on Two States Herzog has argued that “it is possible, absolutely possible still, to make peace with the Palestinians,” has met repeatedly with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and has called on the Israeli government to propose its own plan for a two-state solution. On settlements, Herzog supports a freeze outside the “main blocs,” while new Labor MK Stav Shaffir has launched a crusade to increase transparency and cut government funding over the Green Line. Views on Democracy Herzog has attacked the Jewish State Bill as “provocative, irresponsible and unnecessary” and criticized Netanyahu for “fanning the flames” against Palestinian citizens of Israel. Hatnuah (The Movement) Founded: 2012 Current Seats: 6 Faction alliances: Running on joint "Zionist Union" list with Labor, in a vote sharing agreement with Meretz Notable Members: Tzipi Livni | See full Labor/Hatnuah list Date of Primary Election: None Left the Coalition Background: Former foreign minister and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni founded Hatnuah and campaigned on the idea that peace with the Palestinians was necessary and possible.

After the 2013 election, she was the first to join the Netanyahu coalition as justice minister and chief peace negotiator. In the wake of the collapse of the Kerry initiative and the coalition, Livni has announced a joint slate with Labor, and if tapped to form the next government. This partnership was originally intended to feature a rotating premiership between Livni and Herzog, but Livni has since relinquished the rotation, leaving Herzog to be sole PM or to form another rotating agreement should Zionist Union be chosen to form a government.

Views on Two States Livni has played a major role in past peace negotiations and has argued that only a two-state solution can allow Israel to keep its “values as a Jewish, democratic state.” She has blamed Israeli settlements for “preventing [Israel] from reaching a resolution" and “[making] it impossible to defend Israel around the world." Views on Democracy Hatnuah joined with Yesh Atid in opposing the Jewish State Bill , and Livni has instead called for “a constitutional framework that deals with the character of the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic, and anchors the components of the identity in a balanced way, integrating these values – the Jewish and the democratic.” Meretz (Energy) Faction alliances: In a vote sharing agreement with the Zionist Union Date of Primary Election: January 19, 2015 Notable Members: Zehava Gal-On, Nitzan Horowitz, Tamar Zandberg | See full party list Background The progressive Meretz party was a key player in the Labor coalitions of the 1990’s, and has recently seen its popularity rise after struggling over the past decade.

Meretz is one of the last Israeli factions to consider itself leftist , campaigning on issues of social justice, equality and peace with the Palestinians. It was the only Zionist party to oppose the summer 2014 escalation in Gaza. Views on Two States Faction leader Zehava Gal-On is fiercely critical of Netanyahu’s diplomatic policies, attacking him for expanding settlements and refusing to negotiate with the Palestinians or use the Arab Peace Initiative as a basis for talks. Meretz has expressed its support for Palestinian efforts to achieve statehood at the United Nations. Views on Democracy Meretz came out strongly against the Netanyahu coalition’s Jewish State Bill , with Gal-On calling it a “crime against democracy.” Right/Center-Right Poll: Yesh Atid would crush Likud in new election - Diplomacy & Politics - Jerusalem Post Poll: Yesh Atid would crush Likud in new election ByGIL STERN STERN HOFFMAN 22 February 2013 06:56 Bayit Yehudi set to meet with Likud Beytenu, expected to try to reopen coalition deal Netanyahu signed with Livni. Lapid at Knesset 370.

(photo credit:Uriel Sinai/Reuters) MK Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party would easily defeat Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud Beytenu if an election were to take place now, according to a Panels poll taken on Wednesday for Sof Hashavua, The Jerusalem Post’s weekend sister newspaper in Hebrew. The poll found that Yesh Atid would win 30 Knesset seats, Likud Beytenu 22, Bayit Yehudi 15, Labor 13, Shas nine, Meretz seven, United Torah Judaism six, Hadash and The Tzipi Livni Party four each, United Arab List and Strong Israel three each, and Kadima and Balad two each. Livni undecided between Mitzna and Peretz The poll had 503 respondents representing a statistical sample of the adult Israeli population, and a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points. When asked what Netanyahu’s main consideration is in building his coalition, 59 percent of the respondents said personal issues, 24% said the good of the country, and 17% had no idea.

Netanyahu also fared poorly when respondents were asked which politicians they trusted, but not quite as badly as his new coalition partner, Tzipi Livni. Sixty-five percent said they did not trust Netanyahu and 31% said they did. When asked about Livni, 69% said they did not trust her and 27% said they did. Lapid, Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett and Labor chairwoman Shelly Yacimovich all received favorable results on the trust question. For Lapid, 59% said they trusted him and 36% said they did not. Bennett's numbers were almost as good: 54% said they trusted him and 36% said they did not. With Yacimovich, 48% trusted her and 47% did not. President Shimon Peres could initiate another election if Netanyahu fails to form a government by the March 15 deadline. The prime minister’s associates have talked about forming a coalition of 57 MKs, and then telling Bennett ahead of the deadline to either join or initiate an election the Right could lose.

Likud Beytenu will hold its first coalition negotiations with Bayit Yehudi in more than a week on Friday morning at Ramat Gan’s Kfar Maccabiah Hotel. Sources in Bayit Yehudi said they would discuss the as yet unpassed 2013 state budget, how to equalize the burden of IDF service and more matters of principle. The sources said they would try to reopen the coalition deal Netanyahu signed on Tuesday with Livni, in which she was given the Justice portfolio and authority over negotiations with the Palestinians. “There is no reason why we cannot advance and reach an agreement on a government led by the nationalist camp,” a Likud source said. But Bayit Yehudi’s alliance with Yesh Atid has made forming a government much more difficult. Bennett and Lapid met on Thursday with Kadima chairman Shaul Mofaz to coordinate strategy. A Bayit Yehudi source said after the meeting that he believed all three parties would end up joining the coalition. Channel 10 reported that in closed conversations, Lapid said there was no longer a reason to join the government and for him to become foreign minister, because Livni had already been given authority over negotiations with the Palestinians.

Lapid wrote on Facebook that he would not compromise on his principles even if it meant going to the opposition. He criticized Netanyahu, saying the prime minister could have formed a productive, civil government with minimal effort two weeks ago. Likud Beytenu’s negotiating team met late on Thursday with UTJ and was set to meet with Shas on Friday afternoon. A group of Likud activists wrote on Thursday that Netanyahu was sacrificing his party’s principles by seeking a coalition deal with Shas and UTJ instead of Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi. They said they would draft a petition and send it to Netanyahu. The head of the Shomron Regional Council, Gershon Mesika, who is a power broker in the Likud, condemned the agreement with Livni. “To let Tzipi Livni conduct these negotiations, is like saying that a serious traffic offender can be the chief of the Traffic Police,” Mesika said. “We all still remember the folly of the [2007] Annapolis Conference. Tzipi Livni is currently the most extreme representative of the Oslo concept around, and the only one who still speaks about it, while even Meretz keeps it hidden today.” Relevant to your professional network?

Please share on Linkedin Tags: By Gil Stern Stern HOFFMAN Promoted Content By Gil Stern Stern HOFFMAN Promoted Content Majority of MKs recommend Netanyahu for PM | The Times of Israel Majority of MKs recommend Netanyahu for PM Kulanu and Yisrael Beytenu give Likud leader the nod for premiership; Yesh Atid abstains, signaling opposition stint Members of the Yesh Atid party meet with President Reuven Rivlin at the president's residence in Jerusalem on Monday, March 23, 2015 (photo credit: Mark Nyman/GPO) Newsroom Rivlin to meet parties for 2nd round of coalition consultations Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party and Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party on Monday recommended that President Reuven Rivlin choose Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the next prime minister, giving Netanyahu the requisite majority of 67 MKs. The elected members of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party told Rivlin earlier that it wouldn’t recommend anyone for the premiership and that the centrist faction would sit in the opposition.

Yesh Atid MK Yael German met Rivlin at the start of the second day of consultations about the formation of a governing coalition. The former health minister, whose party dropped from 19 seats in the previous Knesset to just 11 in last week’s vote, said Yesh Atid would recommend neither Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu nor Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog for prime minister. Instead, Lapid’s party would “serve our constituents and all the voting public” from the opposition, German said. Rivlin told the party’s representatives that the country was “already four months without an approved budget and it’s causing many problems for different institutions.” Rivlin also met with representatives of Yisrael Beytenu and Meretz Monday to receive their nomination for prime minister. Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman told Rivlin that “I have to point out that in recent days — if I must specify the issue that bothers me even more than building this government it’s the baseless hatred that is developing among the Jewish people.” Following Monday’s meetings, Rivlin is expected to task Netanyahu with forming a coalition.

Coalition negotiations between various parties are expected to begin in earnest Wednesday, and Netanyahu will have four weeks to form his government, with an option to extend talks for another two. Meretz, like Yesh Atid, Zionist Union and the Joint (Arab) List, is expected to sit in the opposition. On Sunday, Rivlin met with the Likud, Zionist Union, Joint List, Jewish Home, Shas, and United Torah Judaism parties, urging party membersto form a broad, inclusive coalition able to withstand growing international pressure on the Jewish state. Of 88 MKs representing the first group to meet with Rivlin on Sunday, a total of 51 nominated Netanyahu to lead the government. “The political issues and the pressure that our best friends in Europe and the US will exert require a broad coalition in the upcoming Knesset,” the president said while meeting with the ultra-Orthodox UTJ party. President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem on March 22, 2015, in a meeting with the Likud party.

(photo credit: Mark Neyman/GPO) UTJ MK Moshe Gafni, however, rebuffed the president’s wishes, saying his party would not be willing to sit with certain other parties, and said that if those unnamed parties were to join the coalition, United Torah Judaism — and its six seats — would head to the opposition. Although Gafni did not mention the party by name, UTJ has long been at odds with Yesh Atid, which calls for the mandatory enlistment of ultra-Orthodox men and cuts to the welfare and social benefits that affect many in the ultra-Orthodox community. The party, along with the Sephardic ultra-Orthodox Shas (seven seats), nominated Netanyahu to lead the government. The Jewish Home party also nominated Netanayhu, fulfilling a campaign promise it made to its voters. The right-wing party affirmed its support for the prime minister’s leadership, calling for increased construction in the contested areas of the West Bank and Golan Heights. MK Uri Ariel, leader of the hardline Tekumah faction within Jewish Home, dismissed reports that his faction would splinter if not offered the Housing Ministry, a position he retained in the last cabinet, according to the right-wing Israel National News website.

Ariel and party chief Naftali Bennett were reported to be at odds following the election, as the two were involved in several well-documented spats. The Tekumah faction holds two of the party’s eight seats. Following the meetings with Rivlin, Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely addressed the coalition negotiations, asserting the Likud’s need to hold onto high-level ministerial posts while telling other parties to tone down their demands in the interest of securing a stable coalition. “I am certain it’s of mutual interest to establish a lasting, strong and stable coalition, and for this the other sides need to lower their demands,” she said. “It’s important that key ministries such as the foreign, defense, and education [ministries] stay in the Likud.” The Zionist Union and the Joint List were the only two parties not to nominate Netanyahu on Sunday, with the Zionist Union’s 24 members nominating party leader Isaac Herzog center-left party and the Joint (Arab) List (13 seats) opting to not nominate anyone, due to its rejection of Zionist parties.

Question: Likud, Yesh Atid, and Shas are political parties of which country?
Answer: Israel