Likud Yisrael Beiteinu הליכוד ישראל ביתנו | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chairman | Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Founded | 25 October 2012 |
| Dissolved | 9 July 2014 |
| Ideology | Revisionist Zionism[1] Secularism[2][3] Economic liberalism[4][5] Conservatism (Israeli) Russian-speakers' interests[6] |
| Political position | Right-wing |
| Alliance of | Likud andYisrael Beiteinu |
| Knesset | 31 / 120 |
| Election symbol | |
| מחל | |
| Website | |
| www.halikud-beytenu.org.il | |
Likud Yisrael Beiteinu[7] (Hebrew:הליכוד ישראל ביתנו), often referred by the Israeli media asLikud Beiteinu, was anelectoral alliance formed in 2012 by theLikud and theYisrael Beiteinu to contest theJanuary 2013 Knesset elections.[8]
On 25 October 2012, several days after the decision to dissolve the18th Knesset, and after the decision was made to hold general elections, Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Foreign AffairsAvigdor Lieberman convened a joint press conference in which they announced for the first time that their respective parties had established an electoral alliance in preparations for the19th Knesset elections to be held in January 2013. Four days later, theLikud's Central Committee approved the decision.
According to Lieberman, the decision was made two months before it was announced.[9]
Initially the move encountered opposition from a number of prominent Likud members, led byMichael Eitan, who referred to the move as "the Likud's destruction",[10] nevertheless, after the approval of the move by the Likud's Central Committee he stated that he accepted the decision of the committee.[11]After performing poorly in a Likud primary election and being placed in an unrealistic spot on the party's election list Eitan failed to win re-election to the Knesset.
Of the 31 seats won by Likud Beiteinu joint list, 20 were members of Likud and 11 of Yisrael Beiteinu.[12]
The electoral alliance was unpopular among both Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu.[13][14] In November 2013, it was reported that both parties would be holding discussions on whether to end their partnership. According toHaaretz, "the alliance stoked anger among senior Likud politicians, both because of the historic change and the high price the party ostensibly paid...."[15] Efforts byYisrael Beitenu to formally merge with Likud after the election were rebuffed by Likud activists who worried about the effect an influx of organized new power centers could have on their own influence in the ruling party.[16]
The alliance was officially dissolved on 9 July 2014.