National Religious Party

National Religious Party
מפד"ל
LeaderHaim-Moshe Shapira
Yosef Burg
Zevulun Hammer
Yitzhak Levy
Effi Eitam
Zevulun Orlev
Founded1956
Dissolved18 November 2008
Merger ofHapoel HaMizrachi and Mizrachi
Merged intoThe Jewish Home
HeadquartersJerusalem, Israel
NewspaperHaTzofe
IdeologyReligious Zionism
Religious nationalism
Religious conservatism
Social conservatism
Orthodox interests
Settler interests
Greater Israel[1][2]
Political position1956–1960s:
Center to center-left

1970s–1980s:
Center-right to right-wing

1990s–2008:
Right-wing
Most MKs12
Fewest MKs3 (2006)
Election symbol
Website
mafdal.org.il

The National Religious Party (Hebrew: מִפְלָגָה דָּתִית לְאֻומִּית, Miflaga Datit Leumit), commonly known in Israel by its Hebrew acronym Mafdal (מפד"ל‎), was a political party in Israel representing the religious Zionist movement.

Formed in 1956, at the time of its dissolution in 2008, it was the second-oldest surviving party in the country after Agudat Yisrael, and was part of every government coalition until 1992. Originally a pragmatic centrist party in its first two decades of existence, it gradually leaned rightward in the following years, particularly becoming increasingly associated with Israeli settlers. Towards the end of its existence, it became part of a far-right political alliance centered around the National Union.

The 2006 elections saw the party slump to just three seats, the worst electoral performance in its history. In November 2008, party members voted to disband the party in order to join the new Jewish Home party created by a merger of the NRP and most of the National Union factions. However, most of the National Union left the merger shortly after its implementation.

  1. ^ Yishai, Yael. “Israeli Annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights: Factors and Processes.” Middle Eastern Studies, vol. 21, no. 1, 1985, pp. 45–60. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4283045. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
  2. ^ "National Religious Party: Greater Israel, Religious Status Quo". Haaretz. 22 December 2002.