Far rightists join forces to start new party

Michael Ben Ari, Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben Gvir look to capitalize on vacuum left by Yisrael Beytenu’s alliance with Likud

By Philip Podolsky 28 October 2012, 11:05 pm Edit

Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, with Baruch Marzel, seated on far right and Michael Ben-Ari, standing, with a fourth unidentified man outside a police station in Jerusalem in 2010. (photo credit: Flash90)

Hawkish MK Michael Ben Ari on Sunday declared he’ll run in the coming elections in a new party with fellow far-right activists Itamar Ben Gvir and Baruch Marzel.

Ben Ari was until recently a member of the National Union party, but decided to leave after it merged with the Jewish Home faction.

The trio, who are followers of the late extremist leader Meir Kahane, said they would seek to capitalize on the vacuum opened up on the far right of the political spectrum after the conservative Yisrael Beytenu faction announced it would ally with the slightly more centrist Likud party.

Ben Gvir has served as Ben Ari’s press adviser during his Knesset stint. Marzel, who was a member of Kahane’s banned Kach party, served as Ben Ari’s political adviser.

The new party will run under a slogan similar to that used by Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party in the previous election, “The only ones who understand Arabic” — seen as a dig at the country’s Arab population.

“Marzel and Ben Gvir will inject a much-needed dose of reliability and fortitude into the Knesset, and will greatly assist in the fight against the enemy within the Knesset,” Ben Ari said following the announcement, adding that Arab MKs Ahmad Tibi and Hanin Zoabi would “tremble” before them.