2012 The Jewish Home leadership election

The 2012 The Jewish Home leadership election was held on 5 November 2012^[1] to elect the leader of The Jewish Home party. The election took place in advance of the 2013 Israeli legislative election.^[2] Naftali Bennett was elected as leader, defeating Zevulun Orlev.^[1]

2012 The Jewish Home leadership election

← 2008 5 November 2012 2015 →

Candidate Naftali Bennett Zevulun Orlev Party Jewish Home Jewish Home Popular vote 23,645 11,501 Percentage 67.27% 32.73%

Leader before election Daniel Hershkowitz Elected Leader Naftali Bennett

A month before the leadership election, incumbent leader Daniel Hershkowitz announced that he would not contend.^[1]

Background

The Jewish Home was founded in 2008 as a merger of the National Religious Party and the National Union,^[3] who previously ran on a joint ticket in the 2006 election.^[4] The party's first leader was Daniel Hershkowitz, a mathematician who was chosen by a special committee led by Yaakov Amidror.^[5] In the 2009 election, the party was elected to the Knesset, winning 3 seats.^[6] The party then joined the newly-formed second Netanyahu government.^[7]

On 19 April 2012, the party decided to hold a membership census, which would be followed by elections to the party's leadership and electoral list in September.^[8] The census began on 22 April,^[9] but ended in early September.^[10] As a result, the leadership election took place in November.^[11] On 17 May, Member of the Knesset Zevulun Orlev announced his intention to run for leadership,^[12] challenging Hershkowitz.^[13] On 21 May, former Yesha Council chairman Naftali Bennett announced his campaign.^[14]

Candidates

• Naftali Bennett, former chief of staff for Benjamin Netanyahu, former chairman of the Yesha Council, co-founder of the My Israel movement.^[1]
• Yehuda Cohen^[15]
• Zevulun Orlev, Member of the Knesset, former leader of the National Religious Party, former Minister of Welfare and Social Services.^[16][17]

Withdrawn

• Daniel Hershkowitz, incumbent party leader, Member of the Knesset and Minister of Science and Technology.^[18] (endorsed Orlev)^[19]

Campaign

On 19 October, Bennett, Orlev and Hershkowitz participated in a televised debate held on Channel 2 and hosted by Amit Segal. The debate took place a day after the National Union merged into the Jewish Home.^[20] On 22 October, Hershkowitz announced his withdrawal from the election and endorsed Orlev.^[19]

Results

The election was open to the party's nearly 54,000 members to vote in 168 polling stations across the nation.^[1][21]

2015 The Jewish Home leadership election^[22]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Jewish Home	Naftali Bennett	23,645	67.27%
	Jewish Home	Zevulun Orlev	11,501	32.73%
	Jewish Home	Yehuda Cohen	79	0.22%

Aftermath

After his loss, Orlev announced that he would be retiring from the Knesset.^[1] Following the primary, the party won 12 seats in the 2013 election, and remained in the coalition.^[23][24]

In 2019, The Times of Israel reported on a potential police probe into potential unreported funds received by Bennett's 2012 leadership campaign.^[25]

Bennett led the party until late 2018, when he left to co-found and lead The New Right.^[26] He later became the prime minister of Israel, serving from 2021 through 2022.^[27]