MANHIGUT YEHUDIT

(Jewish Leadership Movement)

Orthodox, right-wing, faction of theLikud Partyheaded byMoshe Feiglin. Its declared goal is to "bring genuinely Jewish leadership to Israel"; "to accomplish our goal, we plan to take over the leadership of the Likud—the only party in Israel that is a microcosm of Israeli society." It opposedArielSharon'sGaza unilateral disengagementplan and worked for Sharon's ouster as Likud leader. Feiglin took 12 percent of the vote in the 19 December 2005 Likud leadership primary won byBenjamin Netanyahu. He and Netanyahu subsequently engaged in a public debate over the inclusion of Manhigut Yehudit members on the Likud slate (and its policies on the party platform) for the March 2006 election to the 17thKnesset. Feiglin was soundly defeated by Netanyahu in a Likud Party leadership primary in August 2007, receiving only 23 percent of the vote compared to Netanyahu's 73 percent.

See alsoPolitical parties.