It appears that the National Union and Yisrael Beiteinu factions, which merged for technical purposes in the current Knesset, will form a bona-fide joint political party. T'chelet (blue), recalling the color of one of the strands of the Biblically-ordained tzitzit (ritual fringes on four-cornered garments), has been mentioned as a leading possibility for the new party's name. A last-minute attempt is being made to have the National Religious Party join as well, but party leaders Ministers Effie Eitam and Rabbi Yitzchak Levy have so far not been successful in getting MKs Langental, Orlev and others to go along with the idea. The NRP's efforts at unity were rebuffed when Meimad, the left-wing religious-Zionist party, decided not to join up, feeling that the NRP has gone too far to the extreme right. Meimad is considering either running alone or joining up with Labor once again.
Another electoral problem for the right-wing is MK Michael Kleiner of Herut. A former Likud member, he formed Herut with Benny Begin before the last Knesset election, and they then ran together with Tekumah and Moledet on the National Union ticket. The joint list received only four Knesset seats, and Begin resigned immediately after the elections, leaving his seat for Kleiner, who soon afterwards left the National Union to form his one-man Herut faction. He plans to run alone in the upcoming election, but his chances for passing the threshold of about 45,000 votes - the minimum required for a Knesset presence - are uncertain. Some right-wing voters are calling upon him to join the National Union so that his supporters' votes not go to waste. Kleiner has already begun his campaign, flooding many areas in the country with posters of his picture and the words, "Herut Headed by MK Michael Kleiner."
Another electoral problem for the right-wing is MK Michael Kleiner of Herut. A former Likud member, he formed Herut with Benny Begin before the last Knesset election, and they then ran together with Tekumah and Moledet on the National Union ticket. The joint list received only four Knesset seats, and Begin resigned immediately after the elections, leaving his seat for Kleiner, who soon afterwards left the National Union to form his one-man Herut faction. He plans to run alone in the upcoming election, but his chances for passing the threshold of about 45,000 votes - the minimum required for a Knesset presence - are uncertain. Some right-wing voters are calling upon him to join the National Union so that his supporters' votes not go to waste. Kleiner has already begun his campaign, flooding many areas in the country with posters of his picture and the words, "Herut Headed by MK Michael Kleiner."