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Date: 2015-10-07; view: 553.

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
• Founded: 1999
• Politics: Right-wing, secular, Zionist
• Number of members in 18th Knesset: 15

• 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 Nakbalaw, which stopped public funding for groups involved in activities that denied Israel's existence as a Jewish state and a commission ofinquiry 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.