Reclaiming the right: Why I left Likud and found my home in Yisrael Beytenu
I made aliyah from Montreal in 2009 at the age of 23. On the very day I received my teudat zehut (Israeli identity card), I did something that felt as essential to my Zionism as moving here in the first place: I joined the Likud. I did not join because of blind loyalty to a specific leader or a political machine. I joined because of the values enshrined in the party’s constitution. I believed deeply in the legacy of Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Menachem Begin. I believed in a proud, unapologetic nationalism, the necessity of an iron wall to deter our enemies, and the absolute moral imperative of free markets and individual liberty.
For years, I fought for those principles from within. When I entered the Knesset, I did so with the conviction that Likud was the only political vehicle capable of securing Israel’s future. But over time, and especially in the devastating aftermath of October 7, a painful reality became impossible to ignore. Today, if you genuinely believe in the foundational values of the Likud, you have no choice but to leave the Likud. You have to vote Yisrael Beytenu. The Likud has not merely compromised on its core tenets. It has become the primary obstacle to actualizing true right-wing philosophy in the State of Israel.
The first and most tragic failure is regarding our national security. To be genuinely right-wing means to understand that, in the Middle East, survival requires decisive, unquestionable victory on the battlefield. Yet, under current Likud leadership, we have demonstrated a staggering inability to bring victory on any of our borders. Every front remains open, and our enemies are still breathing. Instead of crushing the threats arrayed against us, we have witnessed the dangerous return and expansion of the conception of “rounds” of fighting, the flawed strategic mindset of managing an endless conflict rather than ending it. We are bleeding our soldiers in a war of attrition, when we should be dismantling our enemies entirely. A true right-wing government does not just “contain” terror; it demands unconditional surrender and total victory. The Likud has lost the will to deliver that victory.
The second failure strikes at the heart of our prosperity. Jabotinsky envisioned a thriving, competitive economy free from the heavy, suffocating hand of socialism. Today’s Likud has completely abandoned the free market, replacing it with a protection racket for entrenched interest groups. Monopolies, powerful union bosses, and narrow lobby groups have effectively captured the Likud central committee and dictate the actions of its representatives. This cronyism comes at the direct expense of the general public. While hardworking Israeli families buckle under a staggering, unprecedented cost of living, the Likud leadership protects cartels and stifles the very competition that would bring prices down. The party that was supposed to liberate the Israeli economy has become its central bottleneck.
The third and most agonizing betrayal is the complete collapse of national cohesion and the principle of an equal burden. In the middle of an existential war, while our reservists are exhausted and families are grieving, the Likud chose to act as a subcontractor for ultra-Orthodox politicians. The relentless push to pass laws shielding the Haredi sector from military service is a moral disgrace. I could not look bereaved families in the eyes and vote for a law that treats Torah as a sectoral bargaining chip.
When I stood against this injustice and declared there would be no majority for draft evasion, the Likud leadership punished me. They stripped me of my committee assignments and barred me from submitting legislation. The party demanded that I sacrifice the military’s survival and our national morality on the altar of coalition politics. I proudly paid the political price for my positions, because I entered politics to advance principles, not to warm a comfortable chair.
I realized that fighting from within was no longer enough, which is why I submitted my Knesset resignation. If we want to save the Israeli Right, we must look to the only political force still fighting for these values. That is why I have joined Avigdor Liberman and Yisrael Beytenu.
On every single issue where Likud has surrendered, Yisrael Beytenu offers the unapologetic, right-wing solution we so desperately need.
On security, Yisrael Beytenu has consistently warned against the conception of containment. Avigdor Liberman understands that weakness invites aggression and that ceasefires without dismantling the enemy only set the stage for the next massacre. Yisrael Beytenu demands a hawkish, proactive defense doctrine that seeks decisive, undeniable military victory.
On the economy, Yisrael Beytenu actually walks the walk of free-market capitalism. They have a proven, consistent record of fighting to slash bureaucratic red tape, dismantle the monopolies that choke our markets, and stand up to the unions that Likud is too afraid to confront. They understand that a strong nation requires a booming, unrestricted economy that rewards innovation and hard work, not political connections and lobbyist pressure.
On the most pressing moral issue of our time, Yisrael Beytenu is the only party that refuses to bow to sectoral extortion. The party is uncompromising in its demand that every citizen must share the burden of national defense. Yisrael Beytenu understands that true Zionism means we all serve, we all work, and we all contribute to the national project.
Beyond policy, there is a deeper, personal resonance for me in this move. As someone who left his birthplace to build a life and a family in Israel, I understand the unique drive that olim (immigrants) bring to this country. We do not take the miracle of Jewish sovereignty for granted. Yisrael Beytenu is a party that was built by olim. It was founded by immigrants who understood that securing this nation requires immense sacrifice and unyielding strength. Today, Yisrael Beytenu has grown into a broad national party that represents all of Israel, native-born and immigrant alike. But its DNA remains a shining example of what olim can accomplish. We did not come here to be marginalized or to watch the Zionist dream be hijacked by narrow interest groups. We came here to lead, to build, and to take responsibility for the future of the Jewish people. To my fellow olim, whether you arrived from North America, France, Ethiopia, or the former Soviet Union: this is our shared project.
Leaving the Likud was a heavy decision, but staying would have been a betrayal of the very reasons I made aliyah. To my fellow right-wingers who feel politically homeless today: do not give in to despair. Israel is a nation of lions, and our best days are still ahead of us. We have a country to rebuild, an economy to unleash, and a definitive victory to secure for our children. Yisrael Beytenu is the only true home left for our values, and together, we will lead Israel to the strength, prosperity, and triumph it deserves.
