Telem (2019 political party)

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Telem
תל״ם‎
LeaderMoshe Ya'alon
Founded2 January 2019
Split fromLikud
Ideology
Political positionCentre[1] to centre-right[2]
National affiliationBlue & White (2019–2020)
ColoursDark blue
SloganChoosing responsibility
Knesset
0 / 120
Website
www.telem-il.org

Telem (Hebrew: תל״ם, an acronym for Tnua Leumit Mamlakhtit, lit. National Statesman-like Movement) is a centre-right political party in Israel. The party was formed by former Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and registered on 2 January 2019 in order to contest the April 2019 Knesset elections. It subsequently joined the Blue & White alliance. Yesh Atid and the party left the alliance on 29 March 2020 after Blue and White joined the government and instead formed an independent faction in the Knesset called Yesh Atid-Telem. Telem left the short lived alliance with Yesh Atid soon after. The party dropped out of the 2021 Knesset elections on 1 February 2021.

History

In the wake of conflicts with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Hebron shooting incident and Yisrael Beiteinu joining Netanyahu's coalition,[3] Moshe Ya'alon left his defense minister post in May 2016 "amidst wide-spread speculation that he would be fired by Netanyahu". On 12 March 2017, Ya'alon officially relinquished his membership of Likud, announcing that he will form a new party to challenge Netanyahu in the upcoming 2019 election. Ya'alon said "he was a soldier for Israel for decades, and he would continue to serve the public in his new party".[4]

The party was named in remembrance of former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and his party, Telem, and registered on 2 January 2019 in order to contest the April 2019 Knesset elections.[5]

In advance of the April 2019 Knesset elections, Telem merged with the Israel Resilience Party and Yesh Atid. Ya'alon was positioned third on the new united list, known as the Blue & White alliance.[6] The party received five seats in the April 2019 Knesset elections, out of 35 seats that the entire alliance received. In the subsequent September 2019 Knesset elections, the party ran again as part of the Blue & White alliance and retained their five seats out of the 33 seats that the entire alliance received.

Yesh Atid and the party left the alliance on 29 March 2020 following the 2020 Israeli legislative election after the Israel Resilience Party (keeping the alliance name Blue and White) joined the government, while the two former Blue and White factions formed an independent faction in the Knesset called Yesh Atid-Telem.[7]

Yesh Atid-Telem split in January 2021, in advance of the 2021 Knesset elections,[8] though Ya'alon and his party dropped out of the race on 1 February.[9]

Party goals

Original logo introduced in 2019
Alternative logo introduced in late 2019

The party's goals as laid out by its registration papers are:[10]

  • Strengthening and fortifying the State of Israel in the Land of Israel as a Jewish, democratic, secure, prosperous and moral state, while fostering Jewish-Zionist education and values and electing honest leadership committed to the welfare of the State and its citizens irrespective of religion, race, sex or gender.
  • Ensuring the sovereignty and security of the State of Israel and the security of all its citizens. The party will strive to achieve true peace between the State of Israel and its neighbors.
  • Supporting a free and open economy.
  • Working to improve the development of the state's infrastructure and services and the welfare of the country's citizens and to reduce bureaucracy and regulation for the welfare of the citizens of Israel in all areas of life: health, education, housing, transportation, national infrastructure, settlement, agriculture, welfare, personal security and industry.
  • Acting to redetermine national priorities in planning and financing, while maximizing the utilization of national resources and working to meet goals.
  • Cultivating culture and sports in an egalitarian and representative manner, giving priority to the allocation of resources and investment in populations with disabilities, elderly and the youth.

The party puts a big emphasis on increasing settlement in Israel's disputed areas. During a visit to the West Bank settlement Leshem, The party's leader Moshe Ya'alon said: "It is our right to settle in the entire land of Israel".[11] Zvi Hauser, one of the party's former MKs, was the head of the Israeli Golan Coalition, an organisation which works for increasing Jewish settlement in the Golan Heights.[12]

Leaders


 Leader Took office Left office
Moshe Ya'alon 2019 Incumbent

Election results

Election Leader Votes % Seats +/– Status
April 2019 Moshe Ya'alon Part of Blue and White
5 / 120
 Steady Snap election
September 2019
5 / 120
 Steady Snap election
2020
5 / 120
 Steady Opposition
2021 Did not contest Extraparliamentary
2022 Did not contest Extraparliamentary

Knesset members

Knesset term Members Total
2019 5 Moshe Ya'alon, Yoaz Hendel, Zvi Hauser, Orly Fruman, Gadi Yevarkan
2019–2020 5 Moshe Ya'alon, Yoaz Hendel, Zvi Hauser, Orly Fruman, Gadi Yevarkan (until 15 January 2020)[13]
2020 5 Moshe Ya'alon, Yoaz Hendel, Zvi Hauser, Orly Fruman, Andrey Kozhinov
2020-2021 3 Moshe Ya'alon, Orly Fruman, Andrey Kozhinov

References

  1. ^ "Analysis: Gantz throws Bibi a political lifeline". Labour friends of Israel. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Karen (28 March 2019). "The Parties in Israel's 2019 Parliamentary Election". Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  3. ^ Judah Ari Gross. "Netanyahu summons Ya'alon for 'clarification' over speech on IDF values". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. ^ Magid, Jacob (12 March 2017). "Former defense minister Ya'alon officially quits Likud". The Times of Israel.
  5. ^ Raoul Wootliff (2 January 2019). "Former defense chief Ya'alon launches new political party, Telem". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
  6. ^ Staff writer. "United Gantz-Lapid party to be called 'Blue and White'; no women in top 6". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  7. ^ Raoul Wootliff (29 March 2020). "Knesset panel okays breakup of Blue and White; Gantz keeps name". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  8. ^ "Ya'alon splits from Lapid's Yesh Atid, is expected to attempt independent run". The Times of Israel. 9 January 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  9. ^ Baruch, Hezki (1 February 2021). "Telem chief Moshe Yaalon drops out of Knesset race". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  10. ^ Elections Committee. "מסמכי רישום המפלגה". Elections Committee Website (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  11. ^ Staff Writer. "יעלון בלשם: "זכותנו להתיישב בכל מקום בארץ ישראל"". Kipa (in Hebrew). Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  12. ^ Ariel Kahana (18 March 2018). ""כתוצר המלחמה בסוריה, לישראל יש הזדמנות לקבל הכרה בריבונותה בגולן"". Makor Rishon (in Hebrew). Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  13. ^ Idan Yosef (16 January 2020). "יוראי להב הרצנו יחליף את גדי יברקן". News1 (in Hebrew). Retrieved 16 January 2020.
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