Zionist Union: Difference between revisions

| colorcode = {{party color|Zionist Union/meta/color}}

| ideology = [[Zionism]]<br>[[Social democracy]]<br>[[Social liberalism]]<br>[[Progressivism]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/UTJ-dismisses-Zionist-Union-manifesto-on-religion-and-state-as-irrelevant-393384|title=UTJ dismisses Zionist Union manifesto on religion and state as irrelevant|work=The Jerusalem Post|date=9 March 2015|accessdateaccess-date=1 January 2019|author=Jeremy Sharon}}</ref><br>[[Green politics]]<br>[[Two-state solution]]<br>'''Factions:'''<br>[[Labor Zionism]]<br>[[Zionism#Liberal Zionism|Liberal Zionism]]<br>[[Green Zionism]]

| native_name = {{Script/Hebrew|המחנה הציוני}}

| position = [[Centre-left]]<ref>{{cite news |url=httphttps://www.apnewsarchiveapnews.com/2015/Center-left-alliance-in-Israel-poses-surging-challenge-to-Netanyahu-ahead-of-March-vote/id-21ca8010e73148998a33bb1283a5c388 |title=Israeli centre-left alliance looks to unseat Netanyahu |author=Aron Heller |publisher=Associated Press |date=29 January 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

| symbol ={{Script/Hebrew|אמת}}

| website = {{URL|1=http://hamahanehazioni.co.il/zionist/?lang=en|2=hamahanehazioni.co.il}}

The '''Zionist Union ''' ({{lang-langx|he-n|הַמַחֲנֶה הַצִיּוֹנִי}}, [[transliterationRomanization of Hebrew|translit.]] ''HaMaḥaneh HaẒiyoni'', [[literal translation|lit.]] ''the Zionist Camp'') was a [[centre-left]] [[political alliance]] in [[Israel]]. It was established in December 2014 by the [[Israeli Labor Party]] and [[Hatnuah]] to create a joint electoral list to contest the [[2015 Israeli legislative election|2015 elections]] with the hope of unseating Prime Minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]]. It failed to do so but did come in second place with 24 seats in the Knesset, forming the official opposition. However, tension between the Union's competing factions resulted in its dissolution in early January 2019, ahead of [[April 2019 Israeli legislative election|that year's April election]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/dramatic-split-in-israeli-left-as-labor-breaks-away-from-livni-1.6802903|title=Dramatic Split in Israeli Left as Labor Party Breaks Away From Tzipi Livni|author=Jonathan Lis|publisher=Haaretz|date=1 January 2019|accessdateaccess-date=1 January 2019}}</ref>

The Labor Party and Hatnuah agreed on 10 December 2014 to form a joint ticket.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/1.631032 |title=Labor, Livni agree to join forces ahead of elections |newspaper=Haaretz |date=10 December 2014 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> The list was established to create a large electoral list for the centre-left bloc, in the hope that it will lead the 34th government. Hatnuah leader [[Tzipi Livni]] has said that other parties will also be part of the alliance.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/12/israel-election-labour-hatnuah-netanyahu-2014121103058316273.html |title=Two Israeli parties unite against Netanyahu |publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=11 December 2014 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> Livni and Labor leader [[Isaac Herzog]] initially said that if the alliance were to win enough seats to lead the next government, they would rotate in the post of Prime Minister, with Herzog serving for the first half of the Knesset's four-year term and Livni for the second half,<ref>{{cite news |author=[[Isabel Kershner]] |author-link=Isabel Kershner |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/world/middleeast/alliance-adds-twist-to-israeli-elections.html |title=Alliance Adds Twist to Israeli Elections |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=11 December 2014 |page=A8 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> though Livni announced on 16 March 2015 that only Herzog would serve as prime minister.<ref>{{cite news |author=Marissa Newman |url=http://www.timesofisrael.com/livni-forgoes-premiership-rotation-with-herzog/ |title=Livni forgoes rotating premiership with Herzog |work=[[The Times of Israel]] |date=16 March 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

[[Manuel Trajtenberg]], number 11 on the list, was the list's candidate for finance minister. [[Amos Yadlin]] was the list's candidate for defense minister, though he was not a candidate for the Knesset.<ref>{{cite news |author=Jonathan Lis |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-election-2015/.premium-1.637952 |title=Former IDF intel chief joins Zionist Camp; Mofaz doesn't |newspaper=Haaretz |date=19 January 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref> The [[Green Movement (Israel)|Green Movement]] also had representation on the list through the addition of [[Yael Cohen Paran]], selected by Livni, on a spot (No. 25) reserved for Hatnuah members.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4619122,00.html |title=Center-left Zionist Camp presents party list: We are the true Zionists |author=Moran Azulay |publisher=Ynetnews |date=25 January 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

| style="background: {{party color|Israeli Labor Party/meta/color}}"|

| {{Composition bar|18|120|{{party color|Israeli Labor Party/meta/color}}}}

| style="background: {{Hatnua/meta/party color|Hatnua}}"|

| style="width:100px" | [[Centrism|Centre]] to [[Centrecentre-left]]

| {{Composition bar|5|120|{{Hatnua/meta/party color|Hatnua}}}}

| style="background: {{party color|Green Movement (Israel)/meta/color}}"|

| style="width:100px" | [[Centre-left]] to [[Leftleft-wing]]

| {{Composition bar|1|120|{{party color|Green Movement (Israel)/meta/color}}}}

Key issues for the Zionist Union included the following:<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/cc0c70f7dcf74d6ebb9a0fde3f860de8/key-facts-about-israel-and-its-election-system |title=Key facts about Israel and its election system |publisher=Associated Press |date=17 March 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Jodi Rudoren |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/18/world/middleeast/israel-election-netanyahu-herzog.html |title=Netanyahu Soundly Defeats Chief Rival in Israeli Elections |newspaper=The New York Times |date=18 March 2015 |page=A1 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref><ref>Moran Azulay, [http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4634652,00.html Zionist Union unveils party platform: Mending ties with US, reducing cost of living], Ynetnews (8 March 2015)</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=William Booth |author2=Ruth Eglash |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/02/21/could-isaac-herzog-become-israels-next-prime-minister/ |title=Could Isaac Herzog become Israel's next prime minister? |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=21 February 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hoffman |first=Gil |title=Israel politics: Platforms for the politically perplexed |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/Platforms-for-the-politically-perplexed-392386 |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post}}</ref>

**Tackling the housing crisis by providing land for free in the public domain for housing developments and increasing overall government expenditure<ref>{{cite news |author=Niv Elis |date=3 February 2015 |url=http://www.jpost.com/Israel-Elections/In-Zionist-Union-platform-Trajtenberg-calls-for-giving-land-for-free-389896 |title=In Zionist Union platform, Trajtenberg calls for giving land for free |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

*The legalization of [[medical marijuana]]<ref>{{cite news |author=Ido Efrati |date=11 March 2015 |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-election-2015/.premium-1.646401 |title=Grass roots support: Most Israeli parties favor use of medical marijuana |newspaper=Haaretz |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

The following are the candidates elected to the 20th Knesset from the Zionist Union's party list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://knessetjeremy.com/2015/01/31/candidates-for-knesset-lists-in-english/ |title=Candidates for Knesset Lists in English |publisher=Jeremy's Knesset Insider |date=31 January 2015 |accessdateaccess-date=14 June 2015}}</ref>

|rowspan=1|{{Composition bar|24|120|hex={{party color|Zionist Union/meta/color}}}}

After the [[2015 Israeli legislative election|election]], the Zionist Union emerged as the second-largest party in the Knesset, with 24 seats. It triumphed in [[Tel Aviv]] and its prosperous suburbs, as well as other liberal areas.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/21/world/middleeast/abiding-rifts-within-israel-threaten-to-widen-with-netanyahu-win.html |title=Abiding Rifts Within Israel Threaten to Widen With Netanyahu Win |author=[[Isabel Kershner]] |author-link=Isabel Kershner |newspaper=The New York Times |date=20 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4638423,00.html |title=Likud wins big across Israel, while Zionist Union makes massive gains on Gaza border |publisher=Ynetnews |date=18 March 2015}}</ref> Its success was mostly in affluent areas, and it won the highest number of votes in 28 of Israel's 33 wealthiest communities.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-election-2015/.premium-1.647729 |title=Netanyahu and Likud won by taking poorer Jewish towns, West Bank settlements |author=Or Kashti |newspaper=Haaretz |date=19 March 2015}}</ref>

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