Manhigut Yehudit

Manhigut Yehudit, meaning “Jewish Leadership,” was an Israeli political movement and organized caucus within the Likud Party. It was established by Moshe Feiglin and Shmuel Sackett around a project to lead Israel according to what its supporters describe as authentic Jewish values. The movement’s program places Jewish national identity, the Hebrew Bible, Torah-based culture, and the political sovereignty of the Jewish people at the center of public life. Supporters have generally associated its ideological outlook with Orthodox Judaism and Religious Zionism, although the movement has presented itself as broader than a conventional religious party and has opposed both religious coercion and secular coercion. Its central political formula was to transform Israel from what it regarded as a state of Jews into a Jewish state. Manhigut argued that Judaism should not be treated only as a private religion separated from national and civic life. In its philosophy, Jewish identity encompasses a people, a culture, a national community, a country, and a comprehensive way of life. The movement’s long-term vision was expressed through the language of the Aleinu prayer: perfecting the world under divine sovereignty. Its newsletters and public messaging emphasized gradual political change, democratic participation, non-violence, and the eventual cultural transformation of Israel through existing institutions. Rather than initially building a separate mass party, Manhigut pursued an internal-infiltration strategy inside Likud. The movement sought to recruit members, win influence in the Likud Central Committee, shape party policy, and eventually capture the party’s leadership. This approach distinguished it from organizations that operated entirely outside parliamentary politics, but it also generated criticism from multiple directions. Left-wing and centrist critics viewed the movement as closely linked to the radical right and objected to the possibility that democratic mechanisms could be used to replace aspects of Israeli law with Halakha. Some Religious Zionist and other right-wing critics considered the strategy unrealistic or too gradual, arguing that it diverted activists and resources from more explicitly religious-national political organizations. The movement gained significant institutional strength after Ariel Sharon’s 2005 departure from Likud to establish Kadima. In 2005, Manhigut Yehudit became the largest faction within the Likud Central Committee, giving it an important position in the party’s internal policy machinery. Feiglin also became a recurring challenger to Benjamin Netanyahu in Likud leadership contests. He received 12.5 percent in the December 2005 contest, an increase over his earlier result, and 24 percent in 2007. In the January 2012 leadership election, he again challenged Netanyahu and received approximately 23 percent. Feiglin subsequently served as deputy speaker of the Knesset during the 19th Knesset. The movement’s influence declined sharply in the Likud primary held on December 31, 2014, before the 2015 Knesset election. Feiglin, along with faction figures Michael Foy and Shai Malka, performed poorly; Feiglin fell to 36th place on Likud’s electoral list. Since Likud had held 18 seats in the preceding Knesset and was not expected by the movement to win enough seats to make that position viable, Feiglin and his supporters left Likud and announced plans for a new party. The proposed organization became Zehut, also known as the Identity movement, marking the end of Manhigut Yehudit’s principal phase as a Likud faction. Manhigut’s later organizational status is not established by the supplied material.

Manhigut Yehudit emerged as a political project led by Moshe Feiglin and Shmuel Sackett. Its name translates as “Jewish Leadership,” and its stated purpose was to guide Israel according to authentic Jewish values. The movement’s ideological foundation treated Jewishness as a national and cultural identity rather than merely a religion. Its writings emphasized Am Yisrael, the Jewish people as a nation, and argued that the Torah should inform the country’s public culture and political direction. The movement opposed both religious and secular coercion in its stated program. At the same time, it sought a profound transformation of the state: Jewish identity, the Hebrew Bible, and traditional Jewish teaching would become the country’s official cultural foundation. Its ultimate ideal was framed in religious and civilizational terms, using the language of the Aleinu prayer about perfecting the world under divine sovereignty. Critics therefore questioned whether its commitment to democracy and non-violence was compatible with a long-term goal of replacing portions of Israeli law with Halakha. Manhigut first attempted to participate in electoral politics independently in the 1999 election, applying to run under the symbol ני before withdrawing prior to election day. In the 2003 election cycle, Feiglin was prevented from standing on the Likud list because of a legal restriction concerning convictions for offenses classified as involving moral turpitude. His relevant conviction arose from civil disobedience and road-blocking protests against the Oslo Accords during the early 1990s, when he was a co-leader of the Zo Artzeinu movement. The application of the moral-turpitude rule to political road-blocking was itself controversial. Without the restriction, Feiglin would have occupied a position on the Likud list that was expected to result in election to the Knesset. Instead of concentrating solely on independent elections, Manhigut developed a strategy of working inside Likud. It recruited members and sought control of the party’s internal institutions, particularly the Likud Central Committee. The approach attracted dedicated support in Israel and abroad. Admirers considered the gradual, parliamentary method innovative because it attempted to change a major governing party rather than remain a marginal ideological list. Opponents on the left and center associated the project with the radical Israeli right and Religious Zionism. Some critics from the broader right argued that its plan to take over a largely secular and pragmatic party was naive, while others believed the movement diverted supporters from organizations more directly committed to religious-national politics. A major opportunity appeared after Ariel Sharon left Likud in 2005 to establish Kadima. The resulting internal realignment helped Manhigut become the largest faction in the Likud Central Committee that year. Feiglin then contested the Likud chairmanship. In December 2005, Benjamin Netanyahu won with 47 percent, Silvan Shalom finished second with 32 percent, and Feiglin placed third with 12.5 percent. The result was far below victory but represented growth from his earlier contest. In 2007, Feiglin finished second to Netanyahu with 24 percent. His performance prompted debate about whether Manhigut represented a serious ideological shift among Likud members or an influential but limited faction. Feiglin rejected claims that the movement’s religious appearance explained the hostility directed toward it and accused critics of unfair demonization. Feiglin challenged Netanyahu again in the Likud leadership election held on January 31, 2012, receiving approximately 23 percent. During the 19th Knesset he served as deputy speaker, giving the movement’s leading figure a formal parliamentary role. Nevertheless, the group’s institutional position weakened before the 2015 election. In the Likud primary on December 31, 2014, Feiglin dropped to 36th place, while Michael Foy and Shai Malka also failed to secure strong positions. Because Likud had held 18 seats in the preceding Knesset and the movement did not expect a sufficiently large result to make Feiglin’s placement viable, he and his supporters left the party. The departure marked a transition from Manhigut Yehudit’s internal-Likud strategy to the proposed Zehut, or Identity, party. Feiglin announced the intention to establish Zehut as a separate political vehicle, although he was unable to form it in time for the March 2015 election. The supplied sources do not establish whether Manhigut Yehudit continued as an independent organization after the Zehut transition. Its historical significance lies in its attempt to combine Religious Zionist and Jewish-national ideas with a long-term strategy of capturing influence inside a major secular-right party.

• 2014

  Exit from Likud and planned Zehut launch

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  After the December Likud primary placed Feiglin 36th on the list, he and his supporters left Likud and announced plans for a new party.

• 2012

  Third leadership challenge against Netanyahu

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  Feiglin received approximately 23 percent in the January Likud leadership election and later served as deputy speaker of the Knesset.

• 2007

  Feiglin finishes second in Likud leadership contest

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  Feiglin received 24 percent and finished behind Netanyahu.

• 2005

  Largest Likud Central Committee faction

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  Manhigut became the largest faction within the Likud Central Committee.

• 2005

  Feiglin’s first major Likud leadership showing

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  Feiglin received 12.5 percent in the Likud leadership election won by Benjamin Netanyahu.

• 2003

  Feiglin barred from the Likud list

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  A legal restriction related to his civil-disobedience conviction prevented Feiglin from standing on the Likud list in the election cycle.

• 1999

  Independent electoral application

  [1]Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org

  The movement applied to compete in the election as an independent party under the symbol ני but withdrew before election day.

A Jewish-national, Religious Zionist-influenced political movement that sought gradual democratic transformation of Israel through influence within the Likud Party, while presenting Jewish identity as a national culture and political foundation rather than solely a private religion.

Product categories. Political organizing · Ideological publications and newsletters · Internal party campaigns · Political advocacy

• Likud internal influence campaign

  Israel

  Manhigut’s defining political campaign was its long-term effort to recruit Likud members, win control of internal party institutions, influence policy, and eventually lead the party through democratic participation.

  Outcome. The movement became the largest Likud Central Committee faction in 2005, but ultimately failed to secure lasting control of the party and left after the 2014 primary.

  Source
• Independent electoral initiative

  Israel

  The movement applied to run independently in the 1999 election before withdrawing its candidacy.

  Outcome. It did not contest the election.

  Source

• 2014

  Leave Likud and pursue a separate partyStrategy

  Background

  The movement’s leading candidates suffered a major defeat in the Likud primary held before the 2015 Knesset election. Feiglin was placed 36th on the party list, making election to the Knesset unlikely.

  Action taken

  Feiglin and his supporters left Likud and announced plans to establish Zehut, an independent Israeli Jewish political movement.

  Aftermath

  Zehut was not formed in time to contest the March 2015 election. The decision ended Manhigut Yehudit’s principal phase as an organized Likud faction.

  Source

• 1999

  Withdraw from independent election candidacyOther

  Background

  The movement applied to run as an independent party under the symbol ני.

  Action taken

  It withdrew before election day rather than contesting the election.

  Aftermath

  The movement continued developing its political strategy, including its later effort to operate inside Likud.

  Source

1. 1Manhigut Yehuditen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Manhigut Yehudit official websitemanhigut.org