Eretz Yisrael Shelanu

Eretz Yisrael Shelanu (Hebrew: ארץ ישראל שלנו, lit., Land of Israel is Ours) is a far-right religious party in Israel.^[1][2][3] Founded by Chabad Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo and Baruch Marzel^[4] on 11 November 2008, it seeks to prevent both the creation of a Palestinian state as well as the dismantling of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

History

In 2008, in anticipation of the 2009 Knesset elections, Wolpe and his party merged with Baruch Marzel's Jewish National Front. The Knesset list was topped by Wolpe, Marzel, and Israeli musician Ariel Zilber. In the weeks prior to the election, the joint list agreed to run as part of the National Union list, with Michael Ben-Ari, its representative, taking the 4th spot on the alliance's list. The Union won four seats, allowing Ben-Ari to enter the Knesset.

On 27 October 2010, violence broke out at the town of Umm al-Fahm between Eretz Yisrael Shelanu marchers and Arab counter-protesters.^[5]

In 2012, Ben-Ari and Aryeh Eldad of Hatikva, another member party of the National Union, announced their decision to leave the alliance and form Otzma LeYisrael.^[6] Ben-Ari left Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and formed Otzma Yehudit^[7] and leading up to the 2013 Knesset elections, party leader Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo announced his support of HaBayit HaYehudi. Subsequently, leading Haredi rabbis Ya'akov Yosef and David Meir Drukman announced cessation of support of Eretz Yisrael Shelanu.^{[citation needed]}

In April 2019 Knesset elections, Rafi Levengrond - father of a murder victim in Barkan shooting terror attack Kim Levengrond-Yehezkel, used the party as a 'Shelf Party' to run his own list for the Knesset.^[8][9] In the September 2019 Knesset elections Avi Yalou used the party as a 'shelf party' to run for the Knesset with his own list called "Tsedek" ("Justice" in Hebrew).^[10][11]

Leaders

	Leader		Took office	Left office
		Shalom Dov Wolpo	2008	2015

Election results

Election	Leader	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Status
2009	Shalom Dov Wolpo	112,570 (#8) (As part of National Union)	3.34	1 / 120	New	Opposition
2013	Shalom Dov Wolpo	Did not contest				Extraparliamentary
2015	Shalom Dov Wolpo	Did not contest				Extraparliamentary
April 2019	Rafi Levengrond	701 (#27)	0.02	0 / 120	0	Extraparliamentary
September 2019	Avi Yalou	3,053 (#14)	0.07	0 / 120	0	Extraparliamentary

References