Otzma Yehudit
The Otzma Yehudit Party is the re-branded Otzma LeYisrael party, which failed to pass the minimum 2 percent vote threshhold by 9,000 votes in 2013. The Otzma LeYisrael party was formed in 2012 by Knesset members Aryeh Elad and Michael Ben-Ari, after they split from the National Union group of parties.
In the 2015 election the party was led by Michael Ben-Ari. In early February it was announced that Otzma Yehudit had struck a deal with the HaAm Itanu Party and would be running on a joint ticket with them. The HaAm Itanu list failed to cross the newly raised electoral threshold, and no representatives from Otzma Yehudit were elected to the 20th Knesset.
Sources: Yashar, Ari. "Otzma Yehudit: We're crushed, but not despairing." Israel National News, March 18, 2015
Ettinger, Yair. "Former Shas leader Yishai teams up with extreme rightists." Haaretz, January 30, 2015.
Harkov, Lahav. "Eldad, Ben-Aro form new party: Strong Israel." Jerusalem Post. November 13, 2012.
Ronen, Gil. "Otzma LeYisrael was 9,000 votes short." Arutz Sheva. January 23, 2013.
Hoffman, Gil. "Far-right Jewish Strength Party to run for Knesset." Jerusalem Post. December 14, 2014.
|