Yisrael Beitenu

Yisrael Beitenu (which means Israel, Our Home in Hebrew) was founded before the 1999 elections by Avigdor Lieberman, director-general for former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yisrael Beitenu won four seats in the 15th Knesset. Yisrael Beitenu is one of two parties advocating on behalf of the Russian-speaking immigrant population.

The party was formed when one of the closest aides of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Avigdor Lieberman, left the Likud Party and formed his own party to run in the next election. Lieberman said his “Israel, Our Home" Party would support the Prime Minister, but would also have its own agenda. The party's focus, he said, would be to limit the power of the Supreme Court, reduce the size of the police force, and provide more funding for the needs of new immigrants.

Lieberman emigrated from the Soviet Union in 1979 and is popular with the large Russian population now in Israel. It was speculated that his new party may take votes away from the Israel B'Aliya Party that Natan (Anatoly) Sharansky founded to give immigrants greater political influence.