NRP-National Union
After weeks of wrangling, the National Union and the National Religious Party are very close to a final agreement on a joint run in the upcoming Knesset election. The final composition of the list has not yet been set, and in fact is still in dispute.
The differences between the parties are not insignificant, but, as MK Nissan Slomiansky (NRP) explained today, "After what happened in Gush Katif and Amona, and in light of the dangers awaiting us, the religious-Zionist public demands a merger. If not, many of our potential voters say they will not vote at all."
Among those exerting last-minute pressure for a merger are former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, former MK Chanan Porat, and the Yesha Council.
Shinui
The ultra-secular Shinui Party has broken up into three parties, as well as several fragments. Only two of the party's 15 MKs remain in the original party: Ilan Leibowitz, the chairman of the Knesset's homo-lesbian lobby, and Ehud Ratzabi. Number one on the party's list will apparently be Ron Levental, the man whose victory in the primaries over former #2 Avraham Poraz led to the party's demise.
The largest party splitting off from Shinui is called Hetz (Arrow), the Secular Zionist Party. It is led by Poraz, who is followed on the Knesset list by MKs Brizon, Shalgi, Polishuk, Breilovsky, E. Livny, and Golan. In the honorary last place, #12, is Yosef Tommy Lapid.
The disposition of the other original Shinui MKs:
Chemi Doron and Moti Zandberg formed their own party, called the National Home, and are considering their next moves, including possibly running on their own or with another party.
Yigal Yasinov joined the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, where he is in the non-realistic #14 slot on the list of Knesset candidates.
Yosef Paritzky split off from Shinui in the summer of 2004, after a recording of him planning to frame Poraz was publicized. He is planning to run on his own in the upcoming elections.
Reshef Chen announced his retirement from politics over two months ago.
Manhigut Yehudit, Likud
Moti Karpel, co-founder of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) together with Moshe Feiglin, announced his resignation from the movement. He explained that his opinion - that the movement should no longer seek to work within the Likud - is a lone voice among the leadership, and that therefore he has decided to leave. Karpel is the author of "The Belief-Based Revolution," which provides an in-depth discussion of the "faulty roots of Zionism that have brought about our current crisis."
Likud and Kadima
The Kadima Party has turned down the Likud's proposal for a public debate between Ehud Olmert and Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu. A Kadima statement said, "We are not a part of the traveling circus of Bibi [Netanyahu] and [Labor Chairman Amir] Peretz."
The Likud released this response:
"Olmert is afraid of a debate with Netanyahu. He does not want to put his personality and his positions to the test of a debate with Netanyahu, and prefers to continue to declaim the sound-bites given him by his advisors Reuven Adler and Eyal Arad."
New MKs
New MKs Danny Koren and Esterina Tartarman took their places in the Knesset today.
Koren replaces Effie Oshaya of Labor, who himself replaced Chaim Ramon but chose to serve in the Knesset for only a few days.
Tartarman, of the Yisrael Beiteinu faction - until recently a faction of the National Union party - replaces Michael Nudelman. Nudelman was forced to resign from the Knesset this week as part of a legal maneuver that enables him to run on the Kadima Party list in the next election.
Special Knesset Session
The Knesset held a special mid-recess session today, at the request of some 100 MKs - four times more than the required amount - regarding the violent events at Amona.
The session was chaired by Deputy Speaker Nissin Dahan (Shas). Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who has assumed the post of Likud Party Campaign Chairman, has chosen not to take an active role in Knesset sessions during this election period.
The Knesset voted, 37-32, to establish a commission of inquiry into the events at Amona. The exact mandate of the commission will be determined by the Knesset House Committee. Speaker Ruby Rivlin said that the decision is valid only for the current, outgoing Knesset. If the commission is not completed before the end of the Knesset's current term, the next Knesset will not be bound by today's vote.
Click here
and here for dramatic videos showing scenes of police brutality at Amona.
After weeks of wrangling, the National Union and the National Religious Party are very close to a final agreement on a joint run in the upcoming Knesset election. The final composition of the list has not yet been set, and in fact is still in dispute.
The differences between the parties are not insignificant, but, as MK Nissan Slomiansky (NRP) explained today, "After what happened in Gush Katif and Amona, and in light of the dangers awaiting us, the religious-Zionist public demands a merger. If not, many of our potential voters say they will not vote at all."
Among those exerting last-minute pressure for a merger are former Chief Rabbis Avraham Shapira and Mordechai Eliyahu, former MK Chanan Porat, and the Yesha Council.
Shinui
The ultra-secular Shinui Party has broken up into three parties, as well as several fragments. Only two of the party's 15 MKs remain in the original party: Ilan Leibowitz, the chairman of the Knesset's homo-lesbian lobby, and Ehud Ratzabi. Number one on the party's list will apparently be Ron Levental, the man whose victory in the primaries over former #2 Avraham Poraz led to the party's demise.
The largest party splitting off from Shinui is called Hetz (Arrow), the Secular Zionist Party. It is led by Poraz, who is followed on the Knesset list by MKs Brizon, Shalgi, Polishuk, Breilovsky, E. Livny, and Golan. In the honorary last place, #12, is Yosef Tommy Lapid.
The disposition of the other original Shinui MKs:
Chemi Doron and Moti Zandberg formed their own party, called the National Home, and are considering their next moves, including possibly running on their own or with another party.
Yigal Yasinov joined the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, where he is in the non-realistic #14 slot on the list of Knesset candidates.
Yosef Paritzky split off from Shinui in the summer of 2004, after a recording of him planning to frame Poraz was publicized. He is planning to run on his own in the upcoming elections.
Reshef Chen announced his retirement from politics over two months ago.
Manhigut Yehudit, Likud
Moti Karpel, co-founder of Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership) together with Moshe Feiglin, announced his resignation from the movement. He explained that his opinion - that the movement should no longer seek to work within the Likud - is a lone voice among the leadership, and that therefore he has decided to leave. Karpel is the author of "The Belief-Based Revolution," which provides an in-depth discussion of the "faulty roots of Zionism that have brought about our current crisis."
Likud and Kadima
The Kadima Party has turned down the Likud's proposal for a public debate between Ehud Olmert and Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu. A Kadima statement said, "We are not a part of the traveling circus of Bibi [Netanyahu] and [Labor Chairman Amir] Peretz."
The Likud released this response:
"Olmert is afraid of a debate with Netanyahu. He does not want to put his personality and his positions to the test of a debate with Netanyahu, and prefers to continue to declaim the sound-bites given him by his advisors Reuven Adler and Eyal Arad."
New MKs
New MKs Danny Koren and Esterina Tartarman took their places in the Knesset today.
Koren replaces Effie Oshaya of Labor, who himself replaced Chaim Ramon but chose to serve in the Knesset for only a few days.
Tartarman, of the Yisrael Beiteinu faction - until recently a faction of the National Union party - replaces Michael Nudelman. Nudelman was forced to resign from the Knesset this week as part of a legal maneuver that enables him to run on the Kadima Party list in the next election.
Special Knesset Session
The Knesset held a special mid-recess session today, at the request of some 100 MKs - four times more than the required amount - regarding the violent events at Amona.
The session was chaired by Deputy Speaker Nissin Dahan (Shas). Speaker Ruby Rivlin of the Likud, who has assumed the post of Likud Party Campaign Chairman, has chosen not to take an active role in Knesset sessions during this election period.
The Knesset voted, 37-32, to establish a commission of inquiry into the events at Amona. The exact mandate of the commission will be determined by the Knesset House Committee. Speaker Ruby Rivlin said that the decision is valid only for the current, outgoing Knesset. If the commission is not completed before the end of the Knesset's current term, the next Knesset will not be bound by today's vote.
Click here
and here for dramatic videos showing scenes of police brutality at Amona.