Yisrael Ba`aliyah

Yisrael Ba'aliyah (heb.: ישראל בעלייה) was an Israeli political party.

The party was founded towards the 1996 Knesset elections, by Natan Sharansky, a former Refusenik, and established its constituency almost solely on the immigrants from the former-USSR.

Yisrael Ba'aliya began its way as a "centrist" party. However, witnessing the general support of the nationalistic right-wing party among their potential voters, the party gradually adopted more 'hawkish' views. In October 1999, two MKs, Roman Bronfman and Alexander Zinker, left the party and formed a left-leaning party, "The Democratic Choice". Bronfman later joined Yachad with his party.

Yisrael Ba'aliya's voters were especially disappointed from the function of their party in the government. The party failed to change immigration policies, despite the fact that it headed, as it promised to its voters, the Interior Ministry, perviously headed by Shas ministers (in a famous campaign slogan they maintained in Russian: MVD Pod Shas Kontrol? Nyet, MVD Pod Nash Kontrol!, – "The Ministry of Interior under Shas' control? No the Ministry of Interior under our control!"). An electoral debacle followed, leaving the party with third of its power. After the 2003 elections Sharansky joined the Likud, and the party ceased to exist.

Electoral Achievements

1996 elections – 7 seats (of 120)

1999 elections – 6 seats (of 120)

2003 elections – 2 seats (of 120)

Former MKs and Ministers

• Natan Sharansky
• Yuli Edelstein
• Roman Bronfman