In Israeli politics, the national camp () or right-wing bloc is an informal coalition of nationalist and right-wing, religious conservative political parties that since 1977 has frequently co-operated to form governments.
The coalition is led by Likud, and includes parties to its political right, such as Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist Party, as well as religious parties. Generally, the two Haredi parties (Shas and the United Torah Judaism alliance) align with Likud. In the past, the coalition has included the National Religious Party, the National Union, Gesher, Tkuma, The Jewish Home, the New Right (until 2020), and Yisrael Beiteinu (until late 2019).
Right-wing bloc Following the September 2019 Israeli legislative election, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formed a "right-wing bloc" for the purposes of coalition negotiations, consisting of Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism and Yamina, that would support Netanyahu as Prime Minister. In February 2021, Yamina left the bloc to pursue negotiations with opposition parties, and the Religious Zionist Party, which had split from Yamina, also declined to sign on, despite supporting Netanyahu as Prime Minister. However, the Religious Zionist Party later rejoined the bloc and participated in bloc meetings.
Following the fall of the Netanyahu government in June 2021, the four parties of the right-wing bloc went into the opposition, but continued to hold regular joint meetings in Netanyahu's office.
The bloc returned to power under Netanyahu's leadership following the 2022 Israeli legislative election, forming the thirty-seventh government of Israel.
Composition
Current NameYearsPosition Ideology Leader MKsLikud1977–presentRight-wingConservatism (Israeli)Benjamin NetanyahuShas1984–presentSocial:Right-wing Fiscal: Center-leftReligious conservatism(Sephardi-Haredi) Social DemocracyAryeh DeriUnited Torah Judaism1992–presentSocial:Right-wing Fiscal: Center-leftReligious conservatism(Ashkenazi-Haredi) Social DemocracyYitzhak GoldknopfReligious Zionist Party2023–presentFar-rightReligious ZionismUltranationalismBezalel SmotrichOtzma Yehudit2013–presentFar-rightKahanismItamar Ben-GvirNew Hope2023–presentCentre-right to right-wingNational liberalismGideon Sa'arNoam2019–presentFar-rightReligious ZionismSocial conservatismAvi Maoz
Right-wing parties not in the bloc NameYearsPositionIdeologyLeader MKsYisrael Beiteinu1999–2019Right-wingNational liberalismAvigdor Lieberman
In January 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suggested he was planning to form a "new national camp" with Yamina, Yisrael Beiteinu and New Hope, excluding Likud. The three parties parted their ways during the collapse of 36th Cabinet of Israel.
In August 2024, Gideon Sa'ar, the leader of New Hope, called for the unification of what he described as the "liberal right-wing camp", which would also include Yisrael Beiteinu and Bennett's New Right.
The national camp in the Knesset +before 1977KnessetYearsLeader MKs11949–1951Menachem Begin21951–1955Menachem Begin31955–1959Menachem Begin41959–1961Menachem Begin51961–1965Menachem Begin61965–1969Menachem Begin71969–1974Menachem Begin81974–1977Menachem Begin +after 1977KnessetYearsLeader MKs91977–1981Menachem Begin101981–1984Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir111984–1988Yitzhak Shamir121988–1992Yitzhak Shamir131992–1996Yitzhak Shamir, Benjamin Netanyahu141996–1999Benjamin Netanyahu151999–2003Benjamin Netanyahu, Ariel Sharon162003–2006Ariel Sharon172006–2009Benjamin Netanyahu182009–2013Benjamin Netanyahu192013–2015Benjamin Netanyahu202015–2019Benjamin Netanyahu212019–2019Benjamin Netanyahu222019–2020Benjamin Netanyahu232020–2021Benjamin Netanyahu242021–2022Benjamin Netanyahu252022–presentBenjamin Netanyahu
References