Naftali Bennett, Uri Ariel
Naftali Bennett, Uri ArielMiriam Alster/Flash 90

Could the Jewish Home and National Union parties split and run on separate tickets in next year’s election?

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, from the Jewish Home’s National Union faction, told Army Radio Wednesday morning that while his faction is interested in renewing its alliance with the larger Jewish Home party, talks with the Jewish Home have thus far been disappointing.

“We want to run together, but it takes two to tango, and right now, that’s just not what’s happening.”

Ariel added that the National Union was prepared to run on a separate list in 2019, perhaps running with a different party.

“Bennett and Shaked think that we have no other choice but to run with them, so they aren’t changing their positions right now. But we can run another party besides the Jewish Home.”

Founded in 1999 as an amalgamation of smaller right-wing and national-religious parties, the National Union currently includes the Tekuma faction – which broke off from the Jewish Home’s predecessor, the National Religious Party – and Moledet, which endorsed the voluntary transfer of Palestinian Arabs out of the country.

In 2006, the National Union ran jointly with the NRP, but split off again in 2009, when the NRP became the Jewish Home party. In 2009, the National Union won four seats, to the Jewish Home’s three.

In 2013 and 2015, the parties ran on a joint list, with the Tekuma faction of National Union receiving two seats in 2015, compared to six seats for Jewish Home faction members.