National Religious Party
Encyclopedia
The National Religious Party ) was a political party in Israel
representing the religious Zionist
movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992. Traditionally a practical centrist party, in recent years it has drifted to the right, becoming increasingly associated with Israeli settlers, and towards the end of its existence was part of a political alliance with the strongly right-wing National Union
. The 2006 elections saw the party slump to just three seats, the worst electoral performance in its history. In November 2008 party members voted to disband the party in order to join the new Jewish Home party created by a merger of the NRP and most of the National Union factions. However, most of the National Union left the merger shortly after its implementation.
faction within the Zionist movement which combines a belief in the importance of establishing a Jewish state in the land of Israel
following a religious way of life, in contrast to secular Zionism and Haredi Orthodox movements. The spiritual and ideological founder of the Religious Zionist Movement was Rabbi
Abraham Isaac Kook
, who urged young religious Jews to settle in Israel
and called upon the secular Labour Zionists to pay more attention to Judaism
. Rabbi Kook saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme which would result in a resettling of the Jewish people in its homeland, Israel, and, ultimately, the coming of the Messiah
.
and Hapoel HaMizrachi
- in 1956. The two parties had run for the 1955 election
on a joint list under the name of the National Religious Front. The founders of the party were Yosef Burg
and Haim-Moshe Shapira
(both from Hapoel HaMizrachi), who focused its activity mainly on the status of Judaism within the framework of Israeli society. Throughout the NRP's existence it has attempted to preserve the relevance of Judaism on issues such as Israeli personal status laws, education, culture, and municipal issues such as prohibitions on the selling of non-Kosher food (in prescribed areas, and occasionally throughout a given municipality), prohibiting transportation and public activities on the Shabbat
.
The NRP operated a trade union
(under the same name as the old workers' party, Hapoel HaMizrachi), a newspaper (HaTzofe) and a youth-movement (Bnei Akiva
). Only the youth movement still exists today.
spawned messianic
trends among religious Israeli Jews that resulted in many members of the NRP moving further right.
Around 1969 a new generation arose in the NRP, led by Zevulun Hammer
and Yehuda Ben-Meir
, called "the youth" demanding that the party pay more attention to socio-economic issues in addition to its concerns about Judaism and the modern state. They led the NRP into the right-wing of Israeli politics. Perhaps ironically, Yosef Burg outlived Zevulun Hammer, who died in 1997.
From its inception the NRP maintained an almost constant number of 12 members of the Israeli Knesset
. In 1981 it shrank to 6 members. The reasons were diverse: An overall reduction in its natural voting population; the political moderation of many Orthodox Jews; its turn towards the right-wing; the growing importance of the right-left schism in Israeli politics; and the rise of Orthodox Sephardic parties such as Tami
and later Shas
.
The party was unique in that it participated in all the governments of Israel until 1992. During this period it was a centrist party, interested mainly in religious matters and impervious to the left-right divisions of the Israeli public. The longtime cooperation between the Israeli Labour Party and the NRP is sometimes referred to as the historic league (הברית ההיסטורית).
and had two ministers in the cabinet. Effi Eitam
was the Minister of Housing and Zevulun Orlev was the Minister of Labor and Welfare. Yitzhak Levy was a deputy minister responsible for the Ministry of Religious Affairs until it was dismantled.
The party helped form the previous government's coalition together with the Likud
, Shinui
and the National Union
, which was based on the following principles:
The party subsequently left the government and went into opposition.
caused great controversy within the party. Sharon dismissed two cabinet ministers from the National Union in order to achieve a majority for approving the plan in his government. The NRP declared that it was resisting the plan and any removal of Jews living in Gush Katif
(in the Gaza Strip). The party, together with the Likud right-wing failed to stop the disengagement plan.
Eventually, Effi Eitam and Yitzhak Levi resigned from the government. However, the four other Knesset Members of the NRP supported Orlev's stand that the party should remain in the coalition and thwart the disengagement plan from inside.
The party's Knesset faction split into two:
On 13 September 2004, the party's "center" (a forum of all party members with voting rights) voted on a choice between Effi Eitam's proposal of immediately resigning from the government and Zevulon Orlev's proposal to leave the government only when it approves an actual removal of settlements. Eitam and Orlev agreed that the "center" decision would be binding. The "center" supported Orlev's proposal by 65%-35%. Orlev's proposal stated that the party would stay in the government on condition that the government would not hold a general referendum (משאל עם, Meshal Am) regarding removal of the Israeli settlements, which would require a special majority, before the issue could be brought to a decision in the Knesset. If such a referendum would not be held, or if the government would approve a de-facto removal of Israeli settlements, the party would resign from the government.
It was decided that the NRP would resign from the government if:
On 9 November 2004 after Ariel Sharon declined the NRP's demand to hold a national referendum regarding the disengagement, Zevulun Orlev and the party resigned from the coalition and the government, vowing to pursue general elections in an effort to replace Sharon with a right-wing prime minister. After their resignation, Sharon had a minority coalition of 56 Knesset members out of 120.
, an alliance of Moledet
and Tkuma
- itself a former right-wing faction of the NRP. At the time the National Union also included the Russian-secular Yisrael Beiteinu party, though they chose to run alone in the 2006 elections.
On 3 November 2008, the party announced a merger with the National Union, Tkuma and Moledet to from a new right-wing party, later named The Jewish Home
. Zevulun Orlev
said it would be "unity by the Zionist religious camp. Anyone can submit his candidacy. There is no advantage whatsoever to current Knesset members." On 18 November NRP members voted to disband the party in order to join the new right-wing party created by a merger of the NRP and most of the National Union factions.
Unlike the Haredi parties - Shas
and United Torah Judaism
- the NRP does not promote the notion of Medinat Halacha
(Halachic state
), a theocracy
run according to Jewish law
. The party wants to retain Israel's democratic character while improving the Israeli people. It aspires to encourage Jews to become better by acting as role-models and teaching Judaism to other Israelis by example. The NRP wants the Haredi Jews to complete three years of mandatory military service.
The NRP emphasises national unity and vows to work as a bridge between the different parts of Israeli society.
They call this principle Ahavat Israel אהבת ישראל ("Love of Israel").
The party was the patron of most of the national religious schools (חינוך ממלכתי-דתי), which teach both Judaism
and general mandatory educational subjects such as mathematics
, English, literature, physics
, biology
etc. It sponsors some pre-military schools that provide higher education to future IDF
officers and commanders. Besides funding and patronising national religious schools, it also supports Yeshiva
schools and Beit Midrash
schools, places dedicated solely to Torah study
. They also run Yeshivot Hesder, where religious soldiers combine combat military service with learning Torah.
The party believed that the land of Israel is holy and belongs to the Jews on the basis of God's promise to Abraham
and later to Isaac
and Jacob
. They believe it is God's will to settle all the land of Israel and nurture it. This principle has great impact on NRP policy toward the West Bank and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
.
The party argued that affairs of personal status (such as marriage
, divorce
s and burial) should be kept under the authority of Israel's rabbis (or other religious clerics for non-Jews).
The NRP claimed that the Jewish state must show respect for the Jewish religion by observing the Sabbath
and serving Kosher food in its institutions and organizations (as it applies to the IDF
, public transportation, the Israeli police and governmental companies.)
The party, along with the other Orthodox political parties in Israel wanted reforms to Israeli law so that converts to Judaism who wish to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return
can only be accepted if their conversions were conducted according to strict Orthodox standards. This was a controversial position as some secular parties claim that it would undermine Israel's connections with worldwide, and especially American Jews. (Please, see the Israel-related sections of Who is a Jew?
for more information.)
Regarding conversions to Judaism performed within Israel, the NRP found itself on the same side of the debate as the secular parties, and opposed to the views of the Haredi parties and particularly Shas. The party advocated that the Israeli Chief Rabbi
nate must act to ease the procedures for non-Jews who want to convert, following the Neeman Committee
(ועדת נאמן) recommendations. It also called for the restoration of the nationality (לאום "Leom") clause on the Israeli identification card. Both issues are connected to recent public debates about Russian immigrants who are suspected of not being Jews according to Jewish law.
The issue of conscripting yeshiva students was a particularly sensitive issue in the party's rhetoric. Historically the NRP initiated the regulations allowing yeshiva students to avoid military service and supported that position over a long time. This came into conflict with the party's ideology and its supporters as the party moved to the right, and as the number of such students rose sharply leading to allegations that many were not really students. In the 2000s the NRP explicitly stated that participation in the Israeli army was a Mitzvah
and a moral obligation, and stresses that its "finest youth... serve in the elite commando and combat units in the IDF". However, it does not reject any of the current arrangements, nor does it suggest limiting the number of non-serving students in any way.
can be summarized as:
However, the party does agree to giving the Palestinian Arabs self-governing autonomy, subject to Israel's authority only in matters of security and foreign affairs (such as in borders and diplomacy), without the dismantling of the Jewish settlements.
The NRP reacted to the Second Intifada
by demanding a harsh military response by Israel to "root out the terror infrastructure". It also called for disbanding the Palestinian Authority and the deportation of the PLO back to Tunisia
. The party believes that Israel can stop Palestinian violence through the use of military force.
The NRP uses mostly religious discourse
to justify these positions. They stress that the West Bank
(referred to as Judea
and Samaria
, the biblical terms) were parts of the ancient kingdom of Israel and kingdom of Judah
and hence rightfully belong to modern Israel. Furthermore, the party views the Jewish settlements as an upholding of the mitzvah of settling the land of Israel. Many of its supporters and parliament members are settlers.
or Capitalism
). However, the party believes that Israeli society and the state of Israel should support the poor
and the needy, derived from the 613 mitzvot
of the Torah
. The party's most notable figure in this respect in Zevulun Orlev, (who served as Minister of Labor and Social Welfare). However, this issue was not high on the party's agenda or rhetoric.
Left-wing critics insisted that the party's stubbornness about keeping the settlements was an "obstacle to peace" while right-wing critics say the NRP does not pressure the Israeli government enough to use more military force against Palestinian terrorism.
Criticism from religious parties such as Shas and Agudat Israel scorn the NRP for having been in the governing coalition with an ultra-secular party like Shinui (which was often described as "anti-religious") and for not doing enough to keep the Jewish character of Israel; in one example, the party displayed little, if any, resistance or dismay, against former Internal Minister Avraham Poraz
's decision not to enforce the prohibition of selling bread during Passover
(when eating bread is a prohibition of Chametz
according to Orthodox Judaism).
Despite all the criticism, the NRP has had a reputation of honesty and dedication to its parliamentary duties. None of its Knesset members have been accused of corruption.
. As soldiers they are highly-motivated and disciplined and have an excellent reputation of contributing to the Israeli state and society.
Male religious Zionists can be recognized by their colorful hand-knitted kippah
(כיפה) (yarmulka) ("skull-cap"), hence their nickname: הכיפות הסרוגות (Ha-Kippot Ha-Srugot, lit. "The Knitted Yarmulkas").
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
representing the religious Zionist
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...
movement. Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992. Traditionally a practical centrist party, in recent years it has drifted to the right, becoming increasingly associated with Israeli settlers, and towards the end of its existence was part of a political alliance with the strongly right-wing National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
. The 2006 elections saw the party slump to just three seats, the worst electoral performance in its history. In November 2008 party members voted to disband the party in order to join the new Jewish Home party created by a merger of the NRP and most of the National Union factions. However, most of the National Union left the merger shortly after its implementation.
Religious Zionism: Background
The Religious Zionist Movement is an OrthodoxOrthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
faction within the Zionist movement which combines a belief in the importance of establishing a Jewish state in the land of Israel
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
following a religious way of life, in contrast to secular Zionism and Haredi Orthodox movements. The spiritual and ideological founder of the Religious Zionist Movement was Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook
Abraham Isaac Kook was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar...
, who urged young religious Jews to settle in Israel
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
and called upon the secular Labour Zionists to pay more attention to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. Rabbi Kook saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme which would result in a resettling of the Jewish people in its homeland, Israel, and, ultimately, the coming of the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
.
Origins
The National Religious Party (NRP) was created by the merger of two parties - MizrachiMizrachi (political party)
Mizrachi was a political party in Israel and is one of the ancestors of the modern-day National Religious Party.-History:The Mizrachi movement was founded in 1902 in Vilnius as a religious Zionist organisation. It also had a trade union, Hapoel HaMizrachi, started in 1921...
and Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi
Hapoel HaMizrachi |Mizrachi]] Workers) was a political party and settlement movement in Israel and is one of the predecessors of the National Religious Party.-History:...
- in 1956. The two parties had run for the 1955 election
Israeli legislative election, 1955
Elections for the third Knesset were held in Israel on 26 July 1955. Voter turnout was 82.8%.-Results:Mapai retained its plurality in the Knesset, although its share of the vote dropped by 5.1 and its share of seats dropped from 47 to 40...
on a joint list under the name of the National Religious Front. The founders of the party were Yosef Burg
Yosef Burg
Yosef Shlomo Burg was an Israeli politician. In 1949, he was elected to the first Knesset, and served in many ministerial positions for the next 40 years. He was one of the founders of the National Religious Party.-Biography:...
and Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira
Haim-Moshe Shapira was a key Israeli politician in the early days of the state's existence. A signatory of Israel's declaration of independence, he served continuously as a minister from the country's foundation in 1948 until his death in 1970 apart from a brief spell in the late...
(both from Hapoel HaMizrachi), who focused its activity mainly on the status of Judaism within the framework of Israeli society. Throughout the NRP's existence it has attempted to preserve the relevance of Judaism on issues such as Israeli personal status laws, education, culture, and municipal issues such as prohibitions on the selling of non-Kosher food (in prescribed areas, and occasionally throughout a given municipality), prohibiting transportation and public activities on the Shabbat
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
.
The NRP operated a trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
(under the same name as the old workers' party, Hapoel HaMizrachi), a newspaper (HaTzofe) and a youth-movement (Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva
Bnei Akiva is the largest religious Zionist youth movement in the world, with over 125,000 members in 37 countries. It was established in Mandate Palestine in 1929.-History:...
). Only the youth movement still exists today.
Post Six-Day War
The seeds of change were sown in 1967, when Israel's victory in the Six-Day WarSix-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
spawned messianic
Jewish Messiah
Messiah, ; mashiah, moshiah, mashiach, or moshiach, is a term used in the Hebrew Bible to describe priests and kings, who were traditionally anointed with holy anointing oil as described in Exodus 30:22-25...
trends among religious Israeli Jews that resulted in many members of the NRP moving further right.
Around 1969 a new generation arose in the NRP, led by Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer
Zevulun Hammer was an Israeli politician, minister and Deputy Prime Minister.-Biography:Hammer was born in Haifa during the British Mandate of Palestine. He was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement , and served in the Israeli Armored Corps in a Nahal programme...
and Yehuda Ben-Meir
Yehuda Ben-Meir
Dr Yehuda Ben-Meir is a former Israeli academic and politician who served as a membef of the Knesset for the National Religious Party and Gesher – Zionist Religious Centre between 1971 and 1984.-Biography:...
, called "the youth" demanding that the party pay more attention to socio-economic issues in addition to its concerns about Judaism and the modern state. They led the NRP into the right-wing of Israeli politics. Perhaps ironically, Yosef Burg outlived Zevulun Hammer, who died in 1997.
From its inception the NRP maintained an almost constant number of 12 members of the Israeli Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
. In 1981 it shrank to 6 members. The reasons were diverse: An overall reduction in its natural voting population; the political moderation of many Orthodox Jews; its turn towards the right-wing; the growing importance of the right-left schism in Israeli politics; and the rise of Orthodox Sephardic parties such as Tami
Tami
Tami was a Mizrahi-dominated political party in Israel during the 1980s. It was led by Aharon Abuhatzira for its entire existence.-Background:...
and later Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
.
The party was unique in that it participated in all the governments of Israel until 1992. During this period it was a centrist party, interested mainly in religious matters and impervious to the left-right divisions of the Israeli public. The longtime cooperation between the Israeli Labour Party and the NRP is sometimes referred to as the historic league (הברית ההיסטורית).
2003 government
The NRP was a member on the 2003 government led by Ariel SharonAriel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
and had two ministers in the cabinet. Effi Eitam
Effi Eitam
Efraim "Effi" Eitam is an Israeli politician. A former leader of the National Religious Party, he later led a breakaway faction, Ahi, which merged into Likud in 2009. He served as a member of the Knesset between 2003 and 2009.-Biography:...
was the Minister of Housing and Zevulun Orlev was the Minister of Labor and Welfare. Yitzhak Levy was a deputy minister responsible for the Ministry of Religious Affairs until it was dismantled.
The party helped form the previous government's coalition together with the Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
, Shinui
Shinui
Shinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...
and the National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
, which was based on the following principles:
- A hard line policy against Palestinian terrorism and increasing use of the military for counter terror operations.
- Supporting the Road Map for PeaceRoad map for peaceThe roadmap for peace or "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a "quartet" of international entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations. The principles of the plan, originally drafted by U.S. Foreign Service...
, but with the reservation that the Palestinians should stop terrorism and elect a democratic prime-minister. - Supporting the Israeli West Bank barrierIsraeli West Bank barrierThe Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier being constructed by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank. Upon completion, the barrier’s total length will be approximately...
, on condition that it will include the major settlement blocks in the West Bank. - Finding a solution for those people who cannot marry according to Jewish law by creating something similar to a civil marriageCivil marriageCivil marriage is marriage performed by a government official and not a religious organization.-History:Every country maintaining a population registry of its residents keeps track of marital status, and most countries believe that it is their responsibility to register married couples. Most...
. - Drafting the HaredimHaredi JudaismHaredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....
for military service. - Retaining the Jewish character of the state of Israel.
- Obligating the ShinuiShinuiShinui is a Zionist, secular and anti-clerical free market liberal party and political movement in Israel. The party twice became the third largest in the Knesset, but both occasions were followed by a split and collapse; in 1977 the party won 15 seats as part of the Democratic Movement for...
party not to act unilaterally in matters of state and religion, and that they would discuss the issues with the NRP and reach a compromise.
The party subsequently left the government and went into opposition.
Disengagement plan
Sharon's disengagement planIsrael's unilateral disengagement plan
Israel's unilateral disengagement plan , also known as the "Disengagement plan", "Gaza expulsion plan", and "Hitnatkut", was a proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, adopted by the government on June 6, 2004 and enacted in August 2005, to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from...
caused great controversy within the party. Sharon dismissed two cabinet ministers from the National Union in order to achieve a majority for approving the plan in his government. The NRP declared that it was resisting the plan and any removal of Jews living in Gush Katif
Gush Katif
Gush Katif was a bloc of 17 Israeli settlements in the southern Gaza strip. Gush Katif was specifically mentioned by Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who fell victim to an assassin in 1995, as essential to Israel's security border. In August 2005, the Israeli army moved the 8,600...
(in the Gaza Strip). The party, together with the Likud right-wing failed to stop the disengagement plan.
Eventually, Effi Eitam and Yitzhak Levi resigned from the government. However, the four other Knesset Members of the NRP supported Orlev's stand that the party should remain in the coalition and thwart the disengagement plan from inside.
The party's Knesset faction split into two:
- The Opposition (Eitam and Rabbi Levi) - who had resisted Sharon's plan and see themselves uncommitted to the coalition and government.
- The Coalition (Orlev, Yahalom, Finkelstein) - had voted to stay in the coalition, but vowed to quit when a Jewish settlement dismantled.
- Nisan Slomianski has not taken a clear position, compromising between the two factions.
On 13 September 2004, the party's "center" (a forum of all party members with voting rights) voted on a choice between Effi Eitam's proposal of immediately resigning from the government and Zevulon Orlev's proposal to leave the government only when it approves an actual removal of settlements. Eitam and Orlev agreed that the "center" decision would be binding. The "center" supported Orlev's proposal by 65%-35%. Orlev's proposal stated that the party would stay in the government on condition that the government would not hold a general referendum (משאל עם, Meshal Am) regarding removal of the Israeli settlements, which would require a special majority, before the issue could be brought to a decision in the Knesset. If such a referendum would not be held, or if the government would approve a de-facto removal of Israeli settlements, the party would resign from the government.
It was decided that the NRP would resign from the government if:
- The government approved the dismantling of Israeli settlements.
- The Knesset passed laws of evacuation and compensation.
- The Labor Party joined the government and the coalition.
- A general referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
on the disengagement would not be held.
On 9 November 2004 after Ariel Sharon declined the NRP's demand to hold a national referendum regarding the disengagement, Zevulun Orlev and the party resigned from the coalition and the government, vowing to pursue general elections in an effort to replace Sharon with a right-wing prime minister. After their resignation, Sharon had a minority coalition of 56 Knesset members out of 120.
The split
On 14 February 2005 Eitam was suspended from the party chairmanship by the NRP's internal court, after he left the government against the center decision. Angered at the suspension, Eitam and Itzhak Levi announced that they had officially split from the NRP to form a new party, the Renewed Religious National Zionist Party (now renamed Ahi, on 23 February. The new party became part of the National UnionNational Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
, an alliance of Moledet
Moledet
Moledet is a small right-wing political party in Israel. It advocates the notion of encouraging voluntary population transfer of the Arab population of the West Bank. Moledet was founded in 1988 by Rehavam Ze'evi, who headed it until his assassination by members of the PFLP in 2001, after which...
and Tkuma
Tkuma
Tkuma is a right wing political party in Israel.-Background:Tkuma was established in 1998 when Hanan Porat and Zvi Hendel left the National Religious Party. At first the new party was named Emunim , but was later renamed Tkuma...
- itself a former right-wing faction of the NRP. At the time the National Union also included the Russian-secular Yisrael Beiteinu party, though they chose to run alone in the 2006 elections.
Alliance with the National Union
Due to their weakening, the NRP eventually decided to run on a joint list with the National Union for the 2006 election, which included Eitam and Levy on its list. The joint list went under the title of National Union - NRP (Hebrew: האיחוד הלאומי-מפדל, HaIkhud HaLeumi - Mafdal) and won nine seats, of which the NRP were awarded three.On 3 November 2008, the party announced a merger with the National Union, Tkuma and Moledet to from a new right-wing party, later named The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home
-External links:*...
. Zevulun Orlev
Zevulun Orlev
Zevulun Orlev is an Israeli politician and a former leader of the National Religious Party. He was Minister of Welfare & Social Services , and is currently a Member of the Knesset for the The Jewish Home party...
said it would be "unity by the Zionist religious camp. Anyone can submit his candidacy. There is no advantage whatsoever to current Knesset members." On 18 November NRP members voted to disband the party in order to join the new right-wing party created by a merger of the NRP and most of the National Union factions.
Main principles
The NRP was a Zionist party and states that Israel was a "Jewish democratic state". The party's main goal was to contribute as much as it can to the state of Israel and influence its character to be more Jewish, as well as fighting for the protection of Israel and maintaining Israel's security.The core belief "the Land of Israel for the People of Israel according to the Torah of Israel" commits the N.R.P. to doing everything possible to further the security and integrity of the Land of Israel. The NRP aspires to influence policy from within the government, and thus continue to safeguard Eretz Israel.
Unlike the Haredi parties - Shas
Shas
Shas is an ultra-orthodox religious political party in Israel, primarily representing Sephardic and Mizrahi Haredi Judaism.Shas was founded in 1984 by dissident members of the Ashkenazi dominated Agudat Israel, to represent the interests of religiously observant Sephardic and Mizrahi ...
and United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism
United Torah Judaism is an alliance of Degel HaTorah and Agudat Israel, two small Israeli Haredi political parties in the Knesset. It was first formed in 1992.The two parties have not always agreed with each other about policy matters...
- the NRP does not promote the notion of Medinat Halacha
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
(Halachic state
Halachic state
The concept of a Halachic state refers to a hypothetical Jewish commonwealth in the Land of Israel governed by Halacha. In such a state, Jews would be required to adhere to the laws of the Torah, and non-Jews have the status of ger toshav and would be required to follow Noahide law.-Stances of...
), a theocracy
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
run according to Jewish law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
. The party wants to retain Israel's democratic character while improving the Israeli people. It aspires to encourage Jews to become better by acting as role-models and teaching Judaism to other Israelis by example. The NRP wants the Haredi Jews to complete three years of mandatory military service.
The NRP emphasises national unity and vows to work as a bridge between the different parts of Israeli society.
Religious and secular, Sephardim and Askenazim, right and left, old-timers and new immigrants – we are all one people. The NRP works toward national unity, absorption of immigration, and bringing people together from all sectors of the population. Without hatred and without coercion. Gently, pleasantly, and with a smile.
They call this principle Ahavat Israel אהבת ישראל ("Love of Israel").
The party was the patron of most of the national religious schools (חינוך ממלכתי-דתי), which teach both Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
and general mandatory educational subjects such as mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, English, literature, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
etc. It sponsors some pre-military schools that provide higher education to future IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
officers and commanders. Besides funding and patronising national religious schools, it also supports Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
schools and Beit Midrash
Beth midrash
Beth Midrash refers to a study hall, whether in a synagogue, yeshiva, kollel, or other building. It is distinct from a synagogue, although many synagogues are also used as batei midrash and vice versa....
schools, places dedicated solely to Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...
. They also run Yeshivot Hesder, where religious soldiers combine combat military service with learning Torah.
The NRP actively promotes Torah in Israel and strengthens national religious institutions: Zionist rabbinical training institutes, Zionist Kollels, Yeshivot gevohot, Hesder Yeshivot, Yeshiva high schools, and more. The NRP encourages Zionist rabbis to take on active roles as teachers in Yeshivot, and as spiritual leaders in cities and in neighborhoods.
The party believed that the land of Israel is holy and belongs to the Jews on the basis of God's promise to Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and later to Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
and Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
. They believe it is God's will to settle all the land of Israel and nurture it. This principle has great impact on NRP policy toward the West Bank and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
.
Religion and state
The NRP's policy was that Israel should retain its special Jewish character and enhance its commitment to Judaism.The party argued that affairs of personal status (such as marriage
Jewish view of marriage
In Judaism, marriage is viewed as a contractual bond commanded by God in which a man and a woman come together to create a relationship in which God is directly involved. Though procreation is not the sole purpose, a Jewish marriage is also expected to fulfill the commandment to have children. The...
, divorce
Get (conflict)
A get or gett is the Jewish form of divorce which, when one is available in the state of residence, is supervised by a Beth Din , a rabbinical court...
s and burial) should be kept under the authority of Israel's rabbis (or other religious clerics for non-Jews).
The NRP claimed that the Jewish state must show respect for the Jewish religion by observing the Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
and serving Kosher food in its institutions and organizations (as it applies to the IDF
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, public transportation, the Israeli police and governmental companies.)
The party, along with the other Orthodox political parties in Israel wanted reforms to Israeli law so that converts to Judaism who wish to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return
Law of Return
The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
can only be accepted if their conversions were conducted according to strict Orthodox standards. This was a controversial position as some secular parties claim that it would undermine Israel's connections with worldwide, and especially American Jews. (Please, see the Israel-related sections of Who is a Jew?
Who is a Jew?
"Who is a Jew?" is a basic question about Jewish identity and considerations of Jewish self-identification. The question is based in ideas about Jewish personhood which themselves have cultural, religious, genealogical, and personal dimensions...
for more information.)
Regarding conversions to Judaism performed within Israel, the NRP found itself on the same side of the debate as the secular parties, and opposed to the views of the Haredi parties and particularly Shas. The party advocated that the Israeli Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi
Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...
nate must act to ease the procedures for non-Jews who want to convert, following the Neeman Committee
Neeman Committee
In Israel, the Neeman Committee was established to solve disputes concerning the process of Conversion to Judaism within the borders of Israel, which by the Law of Return also grants automatic citizenship and accompanying rights. It is unrelated to the ongoing debate about which conversions...
(ועדת נאמן) recommendations. It also called for the restoration of the nationality (לאום "Leom") clause on the Israeli identification card. Both issues are connected to recent public debates about Russian immigrants who are suspected of not being Jews according to Jewish law.
The issue of conscripting yeshiva students was a particularly sensitive issue in the party's rhetoric. Historically the NRP initiated the regulations allowing yeshiva students to avoid military service and supported that position over a long time. This came into conflict with the party's ideology and its supporters as the party moved to the right, and as the number of such students rose sharply leading to allegations that many were not really students. In the 2000s the NRP explicitly stated that participation in the Israeli army was a Mitzvah
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
and a moral obligation, and stresses that its "finest youth... serve in the elite commando and combat units in the IDF". However, it does not reject any of the current arrangements, nor does it suggest limiting the number of non-serving students in any way.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the settlements
The NRP's views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflict
The Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
can be summarized as:
- There will only be one state between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
– the State of Israel. No independent national Arab entity (such as a putative Palestinian state) will exist within these borders - No part of Israel will be given over to a foreign government or authority.
However, the party does agree to giving the Palestinian Arabs self-governing autonomy, subject to Israel's authority only in matters of security and foreign affairs (such as in borders and diplomacy), without the dismantling of the Jewish settlements.
The NRP reacted to the Second Intifada
Al-Aqsa Intifada
The Second Intifada, also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada and the Oslo War, was the second Palestinian uprising, a period of intensified Palestinian-Israeli violence, which began in late September 2000...
by demanding a harsh military response by Israel to "root out the terror infrastructure". It also called for disbanding the Palestinian Authority and the deportation of the PLO back to Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. The party believes that Israel can stop Palestinian violence through the use of military force.
The NRP uses mostly religious discourse
Discourse
Discourse generally refers to "written or spoken communication". The following are three more specific definitions:...
to justify these positions. They stress that the West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
(referred to as Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
and Samaria
Samaria
Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
, the biblical terms) were parts of the ancient kingdom of Israel and kingdom of Judah
Kingdom of Judah
The Kingdom of Judah was a Jewish state established in the Southern Levant during the Iron Age. It is often referred to as the "Southern Kingdom" to distinguish it from the northern Kingdom of Israel....
and hence rightfully belong to modern Israel. Furthermore, the party views the Jewish settlements as an upholding of the mitzvah of settling the land of Israel. Many of its supporters and parliament members are settlers.
Social issues and welfare
The NRP does not adhere to an economic ideology (such as MarxismMarxism
Marxism is an economic and sociopolitical worldview and method of socioeconomic inquiry that centers upon a materialist interpretation of history, a dialectical view of social change, and an analysis and critique of the development of capitalism. Marxism was pioneered in the early to mid 19th...
or Capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
). However, the party believes that Israeli society and the state of Israel should support the poor
Tzedakah
Tzedakah or Ṣ'daqah in Classical Hebrew is a Hebrew word commonly translated as charity, though it is based on the Hebrew word meaning righteousness, fairness or justice...
and the needy, derived from the 613 mitzvot
613 mitzvot
The 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
of the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
. The party's most notable figure in this respect in Zevulun Orlev, (who served as Minister of Labor and Social Welfare). However, this issue was not high on the party's agenda or rhetoric.
Criticism
Some critics of the NRP said that it was too focused on the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and that they neglect other issues such as education, social responsibility and Ahavat Israel ("Love of Israel" i.e. of other Jews).Left-wing critics insisted that the party's stubbornness about keeping the settlements was an "obstacle to peace" while right-wing critics say the NRP does not pressure the Israeli government enough to use more military force against Palestinian terrorism.
Criticism from religious parties such as Shas and Agudat Israel scorn the NRP for having been in the governing coalition with an ultra-secular party like Shinui (which was often described as "anti-religious") and for not doing enough to keep the Jewish character of Israel; in one example, the party displayed little, if any, resistance or dismay, against former Internal Minister Avraham Poraz
Avraham Poraz
Avraham Poraz is an Israeli lawyer and former politician.- Biography :Poraz was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1945 and immigrated to Israel in 1950...
's decision not to enforce the prohibition of selling bread during Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
(when eating bread is a prohibition of Chametz
Chametz
Chametz, also Chometz, and other spellings transliterated from , are leavened foods that are forbidden on the Jewish holiday of Passover. According to Jewish law, Jews may not own, eat or benefit from chametz during Passover...
according to Orthodox Judaism).
Despite all the criticism, the NRP has had a reputation of honesty and dedication to its parliamentary duties. None of its Knesset members have been accused of corruption.
Knesset members
The party currently has three Knesset members as part of the 9-seat alliance with the National Union:- Zevulun OrlevZevulun OrlevZevulun Orlev is an Israeli politician and a former leader of the National Religious Party. He was Minister of Welfare & Social Services , and is currently a Member of the Knesset for the The Jewish Home party...
- Head of the party, formerly a teacher - Eliyahu GabaiEliyahu GabaiEliyahu "Eli" Gabai is an Israeli former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party from 1996 until 1999, and again from 2006 until 2009.-Biography:...
- Nissan SlomianskyNissan SlomianskyNissan Slomiansky is an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the National Religious Party between 1996 and 1999, and again from 2003 until 2009.-Biography:...
- a physicistPhysicistA physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and an ordained rabbiRabbiIn Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Supporters
NRP supporters are mainly religious Zionists, who are Orthodox Jews, in some ways Modern OrthodoxModern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
. As soldiers they are highly-motivated and disciplined and have an excellent reputation of contributing to the Israeli state and society.
- Wherever you look, you see them. Members of the national religious community, with the knitted kippotKippahA kippah or kipa , also known as a yarmulke , kapele , is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women...
on their heads. In academia, in economic life, in the educational system, in hi-tech, medicine, the courts, the IDF, even in the media. Each one of them doing their bit of "kiddush Hashem" (sanctifying GodNames of God in JudaismIn Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
) in daily endeavors.
Male religious Zionists can be recognized by their colorful hand-knitted kippah
Kippah
A kippah or kipa , also known as a yarmulke , kapele , is a hemispherical or platter-shaped head cover, usually made of cloth, often worn by Orthodox Jewish men to fulfill the customary requirement that their head be covered at all times, and sometimes worn by both men and, less frequently, women...
(כיפה) (yarmulka) ("skull-cap"), hence their nickname: הכיפות הסרוגות (Ha-Kippot Ha-Srugot, lit. "The Knitted Yarmulkas").
External links
- Official website
- Party history Knesset website