To restore the Jewish-Zionist essence to the State of Israel and its people

2. Jewish State

The State of Israel is a Jewish state governed by democracy. We will act to strengthen the Jewish nature of the state, and we will fight against those who attempt to transform Israel into ‘a state of its citizens’. At the same time, we will uphold the rights of Israel’s minorities, among them the Arab minority.

3. Jewish-Zionist education

We will act to strengthen the Jewish-Zionist identity of Israel’s youth and instill values of loving others, the nation, and the state. Every child in the country must be familiar with our past and the exceptional figures of the Jewish people; Abraham, Moses, the prophets, the people of the Second Temple era, Maimonides, Herzl and the fathers of Zionism, David Ben- Gurion and the heads of the nation, as well as Israeli heroes like Yoni Netanyahu, Hannah Senesh and Judah the Maccabee. Our education system is in crisis. In recent years, the hours dedicated to the study of Jewish history, literature, and Torah instruction have decreased by approximately 50%. Many children do not study the Second Temple era, nor are they familiar with Israeli heritage. We need to fix this.

4. Free economy with compassion

The State of Israel is a remarkable economic success. However, s large part of the population has missed out on the fruits of this prosperity. We will act to provide equal opportunity that will allow every young person in Israel a chance to succeed. We are committed to improving education, increasing competition, breaking up monopoliesand wherever possible, cutting taxes for Israel’s middle classes. Israel must provide a safety net allowing a decent standard of living for those, and only those, who are unable to provide for themselves.

5. Equal opportunity and closing social gaps through education

The vast social gaps in Israeli society are perhaps its most significant injustice. There is almost complete correlation between a child’s economic background and the results of his/her psychometric (SAT) exam. This means that the chance of success for a child born into a poor family is infinitely lower than for a child from a family with means. We are not socialists; however we believe that each child should start life with the same opportunity. This can only be achieved via an education system which gives each child a set of tools, regardless of his/her background. The government must prioritize peripheral regions in order to create this equality. We aim to give an equal start and equal opportunity to every Israeli child.

6. Strengthening religious-Zionist educational institutions, with budgets equal to those of Shas, and getting them into the national budget

Our youth movements, colleges, Midrashot, and Yeshivot are in immediate danger. Every year we are forced to beg for new budgets. The cost of our education is preposterous – the cost of a student in a yeshiva high school can be up to the equivalent of a year of academic studies. Parents of four collapse under the expense of our basic education, while parents of six to eight children are simply unable to afford religious education. For Shas institutions the situation is quite the reverse – they enjoy complete and constant support. There is no need for parents to contribute to the cost of tuition. And yet everyone expects our youngsters to serve in combat units, do reserve duty and become contributing, taxpaying members of society. This is a direct result of our lack of representation and political weakness. With three seats in the Knesset our voice is rarely, barely heard. Our goal will be to exempt parents from the need to pay twice to get their children educated and to ensure that religious-Zionist educational institutions become apermanent fixture in thenational budget.

7. Judicial balance

We oppose the over-judicialization of Israel, i.e. the excessive intervention of the Israeli Supreme Court and the State Attorney in the policy-making and spirit of Israel. Furthermore, it is our opinion that the Supreme Court has historically been dominated for generations by a the liberal left and does not fairly represent the Israeli public. We believe in a judiciary system that fairly represents the Jewish and Zionist values of the country, and the diverse opinions within the Israeli public. This is attainable through new legislation for the appointment of judges, which will put an end to peculiar situation here in which the judges appoint themselves.

8. Balanced media

Israel’s media needs to be more balanced. It is the mouthpiece of one small segment of Israel’s historical elites. A broader range of opinions need to be more fairly represented.

9. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the future of Judea and Samaria

Today’s Israeli “market of ideas” provides only two solutions: the founding of a Palestinian state in the greater part of the West Bank, or the annexation of the West Bank and its two million Arab inhabitants. We believe that both of these solutions are impossible to implement, and, moreover, endanger the future of the State of Israel in terms of its security, demography, and values. Palestinian leadership does not want the West Bank, but rather the entire State of Israel – so that there is no perfect solution for our generation. We therefore propose the following plan: http://bit.ly/wFaSb8

10. Protection of IDF soldiers

The soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces protect and defend the Israeli people. It is our duty to protect them from th international lawsuits filed by left-wing and post-Zionist groups such as “Yesh Gvul” (“There is a Limit”), “B’tselem [the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories]”, and others. We will advance legislation that will stop funding from reaching anti-Israeli organizations.

11. International diplomacy

Israel’s image throughout the world is not good. We will work to improve Israel’s international standing, not however through concessions or making allowances, but rather by emphasizing the fundamental fact that the land of Israel has belonged to the Jewish people since biblical times, and it is in this land only that this people may exist and thrive. The State of Israel is an island of democracy and freedom in an ocean of totalitarian Arab regimes. We the western world’s front-line in the face of the Islamic surge.

12. Settling all parts of the state

Israel has become the State of Tel Aviv. This is an historic mistake which must be corrected. We will promote the settlement of all parts of the country: the Negev, Judea, the Jordan Rift Valley, the Arava, Samaria, the Galil and the Golan Heights. This will be achieved by improving transportation, supporting the peripheries, and making this issue a national priority.

13. Jews in the Diaspora

The State of Israel serves as a home not only for the citizens who reside within it, but also for the Jews of the world. During recent decades, Israel has done little to strengthen its ties to world Jewry. Aside from isolated endeavors, such as Birthright we have not taken responsibility for Jews worldwide. We will strengthen the Jewish identity of Jews in the Diaspora, and fortify Israel’s bond with them, maintaining the understanding that even those who choose not to live in Israel are a part of its people. At the same time we will increase our efforts to promote mass Aliyah to Israel by Jews throughout the world.

14. Religion and State

The State of Israel is a Jewish and democratic state. Its nature must be determined through discussion and deliberation by the entire body of the public on the basis of the Torah and the ethics of the prophets. Religious coercive legislation should be avoided, as should coercive secular laws. The status of Hebrew Law must be elevated. The Chief Rabbinate must see itself as a devoted provider of services to the entire population. And towards this goal the status of the Zionist rabbis must be improved. We believe that the path to a strong Israeli society is the path of deliberation and dialogue, and we will pursue this path with vigor. A good example of our vision is Yom Kippur - the general public respects this day, regardless of any legislation.

15. Military and civil service

We view the study of Torah as a vital and basic interest and value of the State of Israel. At the same time, we are aware of the vast amount of young people who do not study Torah, yet still enjoy an unjustified exemption from military or civil service. We will act to include Haredi and ultra-orthodox citizens in the workforce and in national service, in a gradual manner and with the introduction of incentives.

16. Treatment ofthe Arab minority

The State of Israel currently makes a double mistake. It overlooks the incitement of Arab factors who seek the destruction of Israel, and it discriminates against the Arabs who wish to be a part of Israeli society. We will act in exactly the opposite way – we will show determination in the face of a fifth column, and support the Arab citizens who seek the good of Israel.

17. Preservation of national lands

The State of Israel is losing its lands in the Galil and the Negev. The massive illegal construction by Bedouins in the Negev is a loss of land, as well as a breakdown of the rule of law and de facto sovereignty. We will enforce law and order in the Negev and the Galil, vigorously tackling illegal building and unlawful land appropriation, and to strengthen Jewish settlement in these regions.

18. Stopping the wave of illegal immigration to Israel, and preserving the Jewish, demographic constitution

The State of Israel has become an employment bureau for the African continent. Tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese citizens march tremendous distances to reach the long-anticipated prize – work and livelihood in Israel. Barriers will not stop them. Only one thing will – when work is no longer available in Israel. If the ‘pot of gold’ at the end of the rainbow disappears, so will the motivation to enter Israel. An absolute halt of employing illegal aliens in Israel is a difficult, even cruel, measure. Yet there is no choice in the matter. This is the only way to avoid the entrance of a million African infiltrators/illegal immigrants within a five-year period.