Party lists for Israel’s elections

WHIPPANY, N.J., May 6 (JTA) — Listed in alphabetical order are the parties running in the May 17 Knesset race that have been registered by Israel”s Central Election Committee. Where available, Knesset candidates are listed down to the 10th position, although some parties are fielding more in the race for the 15th Knesset.

Ale Yorok — Green Leaf
Single-issue party that promotes a differentiation between hard drugs and soft drugs. Platform calls for marijuana use to be allowed for medical, industrial, agricultural and environmental purposes.

Am Echad — One Nation
A party established by Amir Peretz, chairman of the Histadrut trade union federation, who was a Labor Party legislator in the outgoing 14th Knesset. Concerned with workers and pensioners issues.
1. Amir Peretz
2. Haim Katz
3. Yoram Oberkovitch
4. Adisu Massala
5. Shilo Kfir
6. Nadia Hilu

Al-Tajammu” al-Watani al-Demokrati — Balad
The National Democratic Coalition demands that Israel become a state of all its citizens, rather than define itself as a Jewish state. Azmi Beshara is campaigning for prime minister under this coalition”s banner. In the elections to the 14th Knesset, Balad ran together with Hadash and had two Knesset seats.
1. Azmi Beshara
2. Ahmed Tibi
3. Jamal Zahalka
4. Said Lafa”a

The Casino Party
Single-issue party to promote legalized gambling.
Ezra Tissoni

Center Party
A new party, most of whose founding members left the Likud, but which was joined by several former members of the Labor Party and new figures in Israeli politics. It is headed by former Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai, who is also running for prime minister. There are six legislators from the outgoing Knesset — former members of the Likud, Tsomet, Gesher and Labor parties — who are candidates of the new party.
1. Yitzhak Mordechai
2. Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
3. Dan Meridor
4. Roni Milo
5. Uri Savir
6. Dalia Rabin-Philosof
7. Nehama Ronen
8. David Magen
9. Yehiel Lasri
10. Hagai Meirom

Democratic Action Organization — Da”am
No information available.

Green Party — Hayerukim
Primarily a one-issue party: preservation of the environment.
1. Dedi Zucker
2. Pierre Visner
3. Irit Rosenbloom
4. Samuel Chayen
5. Haggai Ayad

Hadash — Democratic Front for Peace and Equality
The Israeli Communist Party, together with other political groups. A predominantly Arab party, though a Jewish woman is third on its list.
1. Mohammed Barakei
2. Issam Mahoul
3. Tamar Gozansky
4. Afou Agbaria
5. Walid Fahoum
6. Ilan Pape

Haihud Haleumi — National Unity
A new right-wing coalition headed by legislator Ze”ev “Benny” Begin, the son of Menachem Begin and a candidate for prime minister. The coalition, which brings together the Moledet, Herut and Tekuma parties, wants greater Israeli control over the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The parties agreed that their common party platform will not mention Moledet”s desire to see the voluntary transfer of Palestinians from the Greater Land of Israel. The coalition includes:

Herut
One of Israel”s oldest right-wing political parties, led by Menachem Begin for many years. Precursor to Likud, Herut opposes territorial concessions to the Palestinians.

Tekuma
A new party founded by Jewish settlers, it is an advocate of the Greater Land of Israel.

Moledet
A right-wing party founded by Rehavam Ze”evi before the 1988 elections to the 12th Knesset, it advocates the voluntary transfer of Palestinians from the Greater Land of Israel. It had two seats in the 14th Knesset but did not join the coalition, which it nevertheless supported on most issues.

1. Ze”ev “Benny” Begin (Herut)
2. Rehavam Ze”evi (Moledet)
3. Hanan Porat (Tekuma)
4. Michael Kleiner
5. Benny Elon (Moledet)
6. Zvi Hendel (Tekuma)
7. Uri Ariel (Tekuma)
8. Moshe Peled (Moledet)
9. Moshe Katz
10. Menahem Feliks

Koah Lagimlaim — Power to Pensioners
Pensioners party led by Gideon Ben Israel

Lev — Olim for Israel
No information available.

Likud
A right-wing party formed in 1973 through the fusion of Menachem Begin”s Herut Movement, the Liberal Party and several other political groups. In the past it was the most right-wing party in the Knesset, but since 1977 has moved toward the center. It is led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a candidate for prime minister in the upcoming elections. It had 22 seats in the 14th Knesset under the Likud-Gesher-Tsomet coalition, which had a total of 32 seats.

1. Benjamin Netanyahu
2. Silvan Shalom
3. Moshe Katsav
4. Limor Livnat
5. Meir Sheetrit
6. Gideon Ezra
7. Naomi Blumenthal
8. Ariel Sharon
9. Uzi Landau
10. Reuven Rivlin

Manhigut Yehudit L”Yisrael — Jewish Leadership for Israel
No information available.

Men”s Family Rights — Ra”ash
No information available.

Meretz — Democratic Israel
A left-wing Zionist party that places emphasis on human rights, social welfare, the separation of religion and state, and the peace process. The coalition of Ratz (Citizens” Rights, established by Shulamit Aloni), the socialist Mapam and the liberal Shinui had nine seats in the outoging Knesset.
1. Yossi Sarid
2. Ran Cohen
3. Chaim Oron
4. Amnon Rubinstein
5. Anat Maor
6. Zehava Gal-On
7. Avshalom Vilan
8. Ilan Gilon
9. Naomi Hazan
10. Jabarra Husseina

Mifleget Hok Hateva — Law of Nature Party
No information available.

Moreshet Avot
Party of the religious far right led by Rabbi Joseph Ba-Gad. Election list discrepancies — involving at least 23,000 out of the 50,000 signatures on petitions for it to be registered — threatened to get the party removed by the Central Elections Committee.

National Religious Party
A religious Zionist party, with roots going back to the early days of Zionism, that is an advocate of the Greater Land of Israel. It had nine seats in the 14th Knesset.
1. Yitzhak Levy
2. Haim Druckman
3. Shaul Yahalom
4. Yigal Bibi
5. Zevulun Orlev
6. Nahum Langenthal
7. Nissan Slomiansky
8. Gila Finkelstein
9. Eli Gabai
10. Shmaryahu Ben-Tzur

The Negev Party
Aims at promoting the interests of Israel”s southern region.

One Israel — Yisrael Ahat
A coalition of the Labor, Gesher and Meimad parties. Labor Party leader Ehud Barak is campaigning for prime minister under the One Israel banner. The coalition includes:

Labor Party
A social democratic party, with roots going back to the early days of Zionism. Recent leaders were Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. Under the leadership of Ehud Barak, who is a candidate for prime minister, it is trying to redefine itself as “New Labor.”” It had 34 seats in the 14th Knesset.

Gesher
A party appealing to Moroccan voters formed before the elections to the 14th Knesset by David Levy, formerly a prominent member of the Likud. In the elections to the 14th Knesset, it ran on a single list with the Likud and Tsomet and was represented in the Knesset by four members. It left the government over disagreements about social issues.

Meimad
A moderate national-religious party formed before the elections to the 13th Knesset. Meimad is a dovish party which favors a modification of the religious status quo.
1. Ehud Barak
2. Shimon Peres
3. David Levy
4. Shlomo Ben-Ami
5. Yossi Beilin
6. Matan Vilnai
7. Avraham Burg
8. Ra”anan Cohen
9. Uzi Baram
10. Dalia Itzik

”New Arab” Party
According to Makram Khoury Mahoul, the party”s founder, the party will stress the economy and education rather than political or Palestinian issues. It also will focus on the rights of Arab women.

Penina Rosenblum
Named for the cosmetics manufacturer, television personality and former socialite who supports social issues, including women”s rights.
1. Penina Rosenblum
2. Avi Balashnikov
3. Masha Lubelski
4. Galia Albin
5. Moshe Moscowitz

Progressive Center Party
A party concerned with Romanian immigrants issues.

Shas — The World Association of Torah Observant Sephardim
A fervently Orthodox party with a mostly Sephardi following that was founded in 1984 before the elections to the 11th Knesset. It has been actively engaged in a battle against the involvement of the High Court of Justice in religious matters. The positions of its spiritual leader, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, regarding the peace process are moderate, but most of the party”s supporters incline more to the right. It had 10 seats in the 14th Knesset and is a member of the current government. Party head Aryeh Deri was recently sentenced to four years in jail for taking bribes while serving in the Interior Ministry in various positions during the 1980s and early 1990s.
1. Aryeh Deri
2. Aryeh Gamliel
3. Eli Suissa
4. Eli Yishai
5. Shlomo Benizri
6. Yitzhak Cohen
7. Amnon Cohen
8. Nissim Dahan
9. David Azulai
10. David Tal

Shinui
A small liberal party that demands that fervently Orthodox parties be left out of the next government. It is led by media personality Tommy Lapid and legislator Avraham Poraz, formerly from Meretz.
1.Yosef (Tommy) Lapid
2. Avraham Poraz
3. Yehudit Naot
4. Yosef Paritzky
5. Eliezer Zandberg
6. Victor Brailovsky
7. Ilan Shalgi
8. Ehud Ratzavi
9. Melly Polichuk
10.Etti Livni

The Third Way
A party formed before the elections to the 14th Knesset by Avigdor Kahalani, a former member of the Labor Party. The Third Way objects to any Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights and favors an aggressive policy in Lebanon, but holds more moderate views regarding the peace processY. A member of the current government, it won four seats in the 14th Knesset.
1. Avigdor Kahalani
2. Eli Malka
3. Yehuda Harel
4. Ehud Gross
5. Miriam David

Tikva
No information available.

Tsomet — The Movement for Renewed Zionism
A party headed by Rafael Eitan, which combines right-wing political positions with a demand for the separation of religion and state. In the elections to the 14th Knesset it ran with the Likud and Gesher and is a member of the government. It had five seats in the 14th Knesset.
1. Rafael Eitan
2. Haim Adini
3. Haim Dayan
4. Moshe Romem

United Arab List
No information available.

United Torah Judaism
A fervently Orthodox bloc that includes the Agudat Yisrael and Degel HaTorah parties.

Agudat Yisrael
A fervently Orthodox party that has existed since the beginning of the century. It is primarily concerned with religious issues and in the battle against the drafting of yeshiva students into the army and is largely supported by Chasidic groups.

Degel HaTorah
A non-Chasidic, fervently Orthodox party, founded before the elections to the 13th Knesset.
1. Meir Porush
2. Avraham Ravitz
3. Yaacov Litzman
4. Moshe Gafni
5. Shmuel Halpert
6. Yisrael Eichler

Yisrael Ba”Aliyah
An immigrants-rights party founded by Natan Sharansky before the elections to the 14th Knesset. In its political positions it is moderate right. In the 14th Knesset it had seven seats, and all its members were from the former Soviet Union. In its new slate for the 15th Knesset there is Ethiopian representation as well. Sharansky has not declared support for any prime ministerial candidate.
1. Natan Sharansky
2. Yuli Edelstein
3. Roman Bronfman
4. Marina Solodkin
5. Gennady Rigeur
6. Alexander Tsinker
7. Natasha Yelinson
8. Shlomo Mula
9. Yohanan Mishayev
10. Avi Bitaw

Yisrael Beiteinu — Israel Our Home
A new immigrants” party recently founded by Avigdor Lieberman, who was a member of the Likud and director general of the Prime Minister”s Office. The party is right-wing and expresses displeasure with the country”s legal system.
1. Avigdor Lieberman
2. Yuri Stern
3. Michael Nudelman
4. Eliezer Cohen
5. Estherina Tartleman