Ahi (political party)

Ahi אח"י
Founded	21 March 2005
Split from	National Religious Party
Ideology	Right-wing Religious Zionism
Alliances	National Union (2005–2008) Likud (2009–)
Most MKs	2 (2005)
Fewest MKs	0 (2009)
Current MKs	0

Ahi (Hebrew: אח"י‎, lit. My Brother, an acronym for Eretz Hevra Yahadut (Hebrew: ארץ חברה יהדות‎), lit. Land, Society, Judaism) was a right-wing nationalist religious Zionist political party in Israel. Founded in 2005, it was part of the National Union alliance between 2006 and 2008. For the 2009 elections it ran a joint list with Likud.

History

The party was established on 21 March 2005 when Effi Eitam and Yitzhak Levi split from the National Religious Party during the 16th Knesset. The split resulted from opposition to Zevulun Orlev's faction in the party, after he had refused to resign from the government following its approval of the disengagement plan. The split occurred when Eitam was suspended as chairman of the party after it failed to approve his suggestion to unite with National Union in order to form a large right wing–nationalist Religious Zionist party.

Eitam and Levi originally named their party the Religious Zionism (Hebrew: הציונות הדתית, HaTzionut HaDatit), but due to objections from the NRP that its name was too broad, a discussion at the party registrar resulted in the party being renamed the Connection Faction (Hebrew: סיעת התחברות, Siat Hitkhabrut). The party's final name listed in the party registry was the Renewed National Religious Zionist Party (Hebrew: מפלגת ציונות דתית לאומית מתחדשת, Miflaget Tzionut Datit Leumit Mithadeshet).

On 1 August 2005 the party joined the National Union alongside Tkuma and Moledet to participate in the 2006 election, and were joined at the last minute by the National Religious Party. The list won nine seats, of which the Renewed National Religious Zionist Party took two.

On 11 November 2007 the party was renamed Ahi. On 23 December 2008 it left the National Union. For the 2009 elections the party ran a joint list with Likud, with Shalom Lerner taking the 39th place and Edmund Hasin taking the 45th. With Likud winning only 28 seats, neither Ahi candidate entered the Knesset.

Ideology

Ideologically, the party subscribes to Greater Israel, supports the Israeli settlement drive in Gaza and the West Bank. It vehemently opposes disengagement from West Bank, but opposes violence and civil disobedience against the IDF, and calls to respect the rule of law. The party platform also emphasizes the fight against government corruption, and more recently, also promoting social justice. The movement is supported by Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, who could be seen as its spiritual leader, whilst Nobel Prize winner Robert Aumann is the party's scientific advisor.

External links

• Party history Knesset website (English)