Michael Kleiner
Encyclopedia
Michael Kleiner is an Israel
i politician and leader of Herut – The National Movement.
He first entered the Knesset
in 1981 as a Likud
parliamentarian but, upon then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
relinquishing Hebron
to the Palestinian Authority, Kleiner split off from the Likud along with Benny Begin (Menachem Begin
's son) and David Re'em
to establish Herut – The National Movement, based on the original Herut
. The three enjoyed the political support of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
and long-time Revisionist
author and original Herut Knesset member Shmuel Katz, which greatly legitimized their use of the name Herut. They initially ran for the 15th Knesset as part of the National Union
block together with Tkuma
and Moledet
but after the poor electoral showing of only four seats, Begin resigned from politics and Kleiner assumed the party's leadership. Eventually breaking off from the National Union, Kleiner and Herut failed to be re-elected in the 2003 election.
Michael Kleiner is well known in Israel for his uncompromising views on retaining territory reclaimed in the 1967 Six Day War and his attempts at solving Israel's demographic issue. He has earned a reputation as one of Israel's hardest working parliamentarians and was one of the few Knesset members to initiate an open door policy (another was Yossi Sarid
) to the public. While Kleiner was a member of Knesset, all Israeli citizen were able to approach his office with personal, family or financial difficulties in hopes that he would use his position to intervene on their behalf with government institutions. Acknowledged in Israeli politics as being above the smell of corruption, Kleiner is widely viewed as a throwback to the classic secular Revisionists of previous decades. Like Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, Kleiner's strong Jewish nationalism stems more from the teachings of Zev Jabotinsky whose philosophy is centered on the Torah's promise of Israel being the eternal home of the Jewish People as well as the heritage of the crown of King David belonging to the Jewish people.
Michael Kleiner has consistently acted to thwart the Israeli government's destruction of Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip
and West Bank
although he has failed to garner the policial support of most religious Israeli settlers. Since their sensed betrayal by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
in the summer of 2005, the settler community has become increasingly weary of secular nationalist politicians. Even from outside the Knesset, Kleiner has continued to work for his public agenda. A major part of his strategic view for Israel's survival is a proposal to offer residents of Israel willing to move to an Arab country a financial package similar to that given to Jewish immigrants to Israel. Kleiner is generally disliked by Arab and liberal groups in Israel who, while accusing him of racism, begrudgingly acknowledge his humility and political integrity. He has not been a member of the 16th or 17th Knessets because his party did not meet the minimum vote requirement.
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i politician and leader of Herut – The National Movement.
He first entered the Knesset
Knesset
The Knesset is the unicameral legislature of Israel, located in Givat Ram, Jerusalem.-Role in Israeli Government :The legislative branch of the Israeli government, the Knesset passes all laws, elects the President and Prime Minister , approves the cabinet, and supervises the work of the government...
in 1981 as a Likud
Likud
Likud is the major center-right political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin in an alliance with several right-wing and liberal parties. Likud's victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had...
parliamentarian but, upon then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
relinquishing Hebron
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
to the Palestinian Authority, Kleiner split off from the Likud along with Benny Begin (Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin
' was a politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of the State of Israel. Before independence, he was the leader of the Zionist militant group Irgun, the Revisionist breakaway from the larger Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah. He proclaimed a revolt, on 1 February 1944,...
's son) and David Re'em
David Re'em
David Re'em is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Likud and Herut – The National Movement between 1996 and 1999.-Biography:...
to establish Herut – The National Movement, based on the original Herut
Herut
Herut was the major right-wing political party in Israel from the 1940s until its formal merger into Likud in 1988, and an adherent of Revisionist Zionism.-History:...
. The three enjoyed the political support of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
and long-time Revisionist
Revisionist Zionism
Revisionist Zionism is a nationalist faction within the Zionist movement. It is the founding ideology of the non-religious right in Israel, and was the chief ideological competitor to the dominant socialist Labor Zionism...
author and original Herut Knesset member Shmuel Katz, which greatly legitimized their use of the name Herut. They initially ran for the 15th Knesset as part of the National Union
National Union (Israel)
The National Union is an alliance of nationalist political parties in Israel. In the 2009 elections the National Union consisted of four parties: Moledet, Hatikva, Eretz Yisrael Shelanu, and Tkuma.-Background:...
block together with Tkuma
Tkuma
Tkuma is a right wing political party in Israel.-Background:Tkuma was established in 1998 when Hanan Porat and Zvi Hendel left the National Religious Party. At first the new party was named Emunim , but was later renamed Tkuma...
and Moledet
Moledet
Moledet is a small right-wing political party in Israel. It advocates the notion of encouraging voluntary population transfer of the Arab population of the West Bank. Moledet was founded in 1988 by Rehavam Ze'evi, who headed it until his assassination by members of the PFLP in 2001, after which...
but after the poor electoral showing of only four seats, Begin resigned from politics and Kleiner assumed the party's leadership. Eventually breaking off from the National Union, Kleiner and Herut failed to be re-elected in the 2003 election.
Michael Kleiner is well known in Israel for his uncompromising views on retaining territory reclaimed in the 1967 Six Day War and his attempts at solving Israel's demographic issue. He has earned a reputation as one of Israel's hardest working parliamentarians and was one of the few Knesset members to initiate an open door policy (another was Yossi Sarid
Yossi Sarid
Yossi Sarid is a left-wing Israeli news commentator and former politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Alignment, Ratz and Meretz between 1974 and 2006...
) to the public. While Kleiner was a member of Knesset, all Israeli citizen were able to approach his office with personal, family or financial difficulties in hopes that he would use his position to intervene on their behalf with government institutions. Acknowledged in Israeli politics as being above the smell of corruption, Kleiner is widely viewed as a throwback to the classic secular Revisionists of previous decades. Like Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, Kleiner's strong Jewish nationalism stems more from the teachings of Zev Jabotinsky whose philosophy is centered on the Torah's promise of Israel being the eternal home of the Jewish People as well as the heritage of the crown of King David belonging to the Jewish people.
Michael Kleiner has consistently acted to thwart the Israeli government's destruction of Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
and West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
although he has failed to garner the policial support of most religious Israeli settlers. Since their sensed betrayal by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
in the summer of 2005, the settler community has become increasingly weary of secular nationalist politicians. Even from outside the Knesset, Kleiner has continued to work for his public agenda. A major part of his strategic view for Israel's survival is a proposal to offer residents of Israel willing to move to an Arab country a financial package similar to that given to Jewish immigrants to Israel. Kleiner is generally disliked by Arab and liberal groups in Israel who, while accusing him of racism, begrudgingly acknowledge his humility and political integrity. He has not been a member of the 16th or 17th Knessets because his party did not meet the minimum vote requirement.