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| Tkuma (National Union) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tkuma (National Union) |
| Native name | תקווה (האיחוד הלאומי) |
| Founded | 1999 |
| Founder | Uri Ariel |
| Headquarters | Jerusalem |
| Ideology | Religious Zionism, Nationalism |
| Position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Seats1 title | Knesset |
Tkuma (National Union) is an Israeli political faction rooted in Religious Zionist activism and settler movement leadership. The party emerged from a coalition of National Religious Party, Moledet, and various settler movement figures, aligning with actors from Gush Emunim, Bnei Akiva, and rabbinical authorities such as Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook. Tkuma has been represented in the Knesset and has allied with blocs including National Union, Jewish Home, and Yamina.
Tkuma formed amid the political realignments following the 1990s realignments and the aftermath of the Oslo Accords and the Hebron Protocol. Key founders and activists connected to settlement movement, Yesha Council, and the leadership of Moledet and National Religious Party engineered mergers and splits that produced Tkuma. The party’s creation was influenced by events such as the Camp David Summit (2000), the Second Intifada, and controversies over the withdrawal from Lebanon (2000), prompting figures like Uri Ariel, Hanan Porat, and others from Gush Emunim to seek a distinct parliamentary vehicle. Early organizational ties linked Tkuma to institutions like Bar-Ilan University, Mercaz HaRav, and local councils in the West Bank settlements.
Tkuma's platform combines elements from Religious Zionism, Revisionist Zionism, and settler movement objectives; it emphasizes retention of territories associated with Biblical and historic claims, often invoking texts from Rambam, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, and the halakhic framework endorsed by cadres from Mercaz HaRav. Policy stances include opposition to territorial concessions raised during negotiations like those at Camp David (2000) and support for expanded municipal authority in areas such as Judea and Samaria Area. On security issues, Tkuma aligns with positions held by actors such as Ariel Sharon critics and supporters of assertive responses used in conflicts like the Gaza–Israel conflict and Second Intifada. The party has advocated legislation touching on matters debated in forums like the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee and has cooperated with lawmakers from Likud, Shas, and United Torah Judaism on religion-state matters.
Tkuma's leadership cadre has included parliamentarians and activists drawn from local settlement councils, rabbinical networks, and youth movements such as Bnei Akiva. Prominent figures counted among its ranks are Uri Ariel, who served in key ministerial roles, and other MKs who moved between lists like National Union and Jewish Home. Organizationally, the party interfaced with institutions including the Yesha Council, the World Zionist Organization, and yeshivot associated with Religious Zionist leadership. Internal leadership contests and alliance negotiations often involved personalities linked to Moshe Feiglin, Naftali Bennett, and Avi Maoz insofar as right-wing religious Zionist politics intersected across party lines.
Tkuma contested Knesset elections both independently and as part of alliances such as the National Union and later electoral unions with Jewish Home and coalitions within Yamina. The party’s Knesset representation fluctuated in response to electoral thresholds established by the Knesset Electoral Threshold and strategic ballot arrangements negotiated with figures like Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. In various electoral cycles, Tkuma-aligned lists secured mandates alongside parties like Likud and Religious Zionist Party, while at other times failing to cross the threshold due to competition from splinters such as Otzma Yehudit and right-wing consolidations. Alliance-making involved negotiation with leaders of National Religious Party legacy groups and newer formations shaped by the aftermath of events like the 2005 Gaza disengagement.
Tkuma influenced policy debates on settlement expansion, annexation proposals discussed alongside Ariel leadership and annexation advocates, and legislative initiatives concerning military service exemptions debated with United Torah Judaism and punitive-security legislation debated in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. The party’s MKs advanced bills touching on property rights in contested areas, judicial-reform positions debated against proposals by Ministry of Justice officials, and cultural-religious measures promoted with partners like Shas. Tkuma-aligned ministers and MKs served in coalition negotiations shaping governments led by Benjamin Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, and others, affecting portfolios such as Agriculture and Housing relevant to settlement policy.
Tkuma faced criticism from left-wing and centrist actors including Meretz, Israeli Labor Party, and human rights groups such as B'Tselem for positions on settlements and responses to Palestinian protests like those in West Bank protests. Critics in the judiciary and media outlets such as Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post challenged its stance on civil liberties and judicial oversight, while internal disputes with parties like Jewish Home and splintering entities like Otzma Yehudit led to controversies over candidate lists and coalition bargaining. International actors including officials from the European Union and United Nations frequently criticized policies associated with Tkuma-aligned initiatives in the Occupied Palestinian territories.