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| New Right (HaYamin HeHadash) | |
|---|---|
| Name | New Right (HaYamin HeHadash) |
| Native name | הַיָּמִין הֶחָדָשׁ |
| Leader | Naftali Bennett |
| Founded | December 2018 |
| Country | Israel |
| Position | Right-wing to right-wing conservative |
New Right (HaYamin HeHadash) is an Israeli political party established in December 2018 by Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked after splits from The Jewish Home and Yamina. The party contested the April 2019 and September 2019 elections and later influenced the composition of the 35th government and the 36th government. It advances policies linking West Bank issues, Jewish identity legislation, and economic liberalization while seeking broader appeal among secular and religious Zionist voters.
The party emerged from a rift involving Naftali Bennett, Ayelet Shaked, Rafi Peretz, and factions of The Jewish Home during negotiations with Likud and ahead of the April 2019 Israeli legislative election. Bennett and Shaked announced the new formation following discussions with figures associated with right-wing movements, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Blue and White realignments. In the April 2019 and September 2019 elections, the party ran within broader alliances with Union of Right-Wing Parties and later as part of Yamina. After the 2021 elections and the formation of the coalition that ousted Benjamin Netanyahu from the premiership, Bennett became Prime Minister of Israel in a rotation agreement with Yair Lapid, marking a strategic achievement following initial electoral setbacks.
The platform combines elements from religious Zionism and economic neoliberalism, advocating policies on settlement expansion, annexation, and legal changes to nation-state legislation. It supports initiatives intersecting with Haredi Judaism debates, civil marriage proposals, and reforms affecting the judiciary, reflecting tensions with Israeli Supreme Court jurisprudence and proposals debated in the Knesset. The party promotes market-oriented programs resembling proposals from Likud, Yamincu, and figures such as Benjamin Netanyahu and Moshe Kahlon, while positioning itself against proposals from Labor and Meretz on welfare and identity issues.
Founders Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked shaped the party's leadership structure, supported by staff from previous campaigns involving Likud operatives, former advisers from Yamina, and activists linked to Yesh Atid and Kulanu networks. The organizational model adopted local units across regions including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and settlements in the West Bank such as Ariel and Ma'ale Adumim. Key advisers have ties to institutions like Bar-Ilan University faculties, think tanks associated with Herzliya conferences, and lobbying efforts connected to Jewish Agency for Israel constituencies.
The party contested the April 2019 election, the September 2019 election, and subsequent 2020–2022 cycles either independently or within the Yamina umbrella alongside other right-wing lists. It achieved seat allocations in the Knesset via voter blocs from Religious Zionist Party, Likud, and centrist defectors from Blue and White in various tallies. Notably, Bennett's rotation to the Prime Minister of Israel role followed coalition negotiations with Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Mansour Abbas, and others across the center-right and Arab party spectrum, altering typical right-wing electoral dynamics.
Critics from Meretz, Labor, and Peace Now accused the party of endorsing policies that undermine Arab-Israeli civil rights and international accords referenced by United Nations bodies and European governments. Legal commentators, including scholars at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv University, debated proposed changes to the Israeli judicial system, provoking demonstrations alongside groups such as Black Flags protests and NGOs including ACRI. Accusations of opportunism arose during negotiations with Benjamin Netanyahu and criticism from former allies like Rafi Peretz over seat-sharing and candidate placement.
The party influenced coalition formation across the 2019–2022 period, negotiating with parties such as Likud, Yamina, Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, and United Torah Judaism. Its leaders participated in forums with international figures from United States conservative circles, engaged with diaspora organizations like Republican Jewish Coalition contacts, and cooperated on security issues with officials tied to Israel Defense Forces leadership and the Defense Ministry. The party's strategic positioning affected policy debates within the Knesset on settlement policy, judicial reform, and education initiatives linked to institutions such as CHE and Ministry of Jerusalem and Heritage.