Noam (political party)

Noam was founded in July 2019.{{Cite web |date=16 July 2019 |title=מפלגת נעם רכשה מפלגת מדף וחשפה את מייסדיה |url=https://www.kipa.co.il/%D7%97%D7%93%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%AA/%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%98%D7%99/943823-%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%AA-%D7%A0%D7%A2%D7%9D-%D7%A8%D7%9B%D7%A9%D7%94-%D7%9E%D7%A4%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A3-%D7%95%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%A4%D7%94-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%93%D7%99%D7%94/ |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=כיפה |language=he-IL}} Its basis is in rabbi Zvi Thau and his Har Hamor yeshiva. Thau and his followers believed that The Jewish Home, then led by Rafi Peretz, and Tkuma, led by Bezalel Smotrich, hadn't sufficiently advanced Jewish values, particularly in the realm of opposition to LGBT rights, protection of the Shabbat as a day of rest, and the protection of the Orthodox conversion process. Following Thau's disappointment with the Union of the Right-Wing Parties, he and his followers decided to form the Noam party. While Thau is the party's spiritual leader, rabbi Dror Aryeh became the party's political leader.{{cite news |url=https://www.makorrishon.co.il/news/152827/ |title=מאחורי הקלעים: מפלגת הרב טאו בשלבי בדיקה והתארגנות |date=9 July 2019 |website=Makor Rishon|last=Avitan Cohen|first=Shirit|access-date=15 July 2019|language=he}} Another student of Thau involved in the creation of the party was rabbi Shlomo Aviner. He said that: "The party will fight against the destruction of the family, against the destruction of conversion, against the destruction of Shabbat, against the destruction of the Western Wall, and against the use of deviant content in the IDF and the Education Ministry."

The Noam party was reported to be in talks with the Otzma Yehudit party, which had recently split from the United Right, for a possible joint run. Thau endorsed the joint ticket, marking the first time he had explicitly endorsed a political party.{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265889 |title=New Religious Zionist party named |date=15 July 2019 |website=Israel National News|last=Rosenberg|first=David|access-date=15 July 2019}} On 28 July, Noam and Otzma Yehudit agreed to run on a joint list for the September 2019 Israeli legislative election. The agreement between Noam and Otzma Yehudit was dissolved on 1 August 2019 because Noam disagreed with Otzma having secular Jewish candidates.{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266812|title=Otzma Yehudit and Noam cancel joint run|work=Arutz Sheva|first=Hezki|last=Baruch|date=1 August 2019|access-date=1 August 2019}} Noam filed to run alone,{{cite news|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266818|title=Right-wing Noam party files for independent Knesset run|work=Arutz Sheva|first=David|last=Rosenberg|date=1 August 2019|access-date=1 August 2019}} before withdrawing from the race on 15 September.{{Cite news |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/fringe-far-right-party-noam-quits-knesset-race-2-days-before-elections/|title=Fringe far-right party Noam quits Knesset race 2 days before elections|work=The Times of Israel|first=Michael|last=Bachner|access-date=15 September 2019|date=15 September 2019}}

The party formed a joint list with Otzma Yehudit, after allowing women and secular candidates on the list prior to the 2021 Israeli legislative election.{{cite web|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/far-right-otzma-yehudit-noam-parties-to-run-together-in-knesset-elections-657281|title=Popular Sderot mayor running with Bennett|work=The Jerusalem Post|first1=Gil|last1=Hoffman|first2=Tzvi|last2=Joffre|date=31 January 2021|access-date=2 April 2021}} Both parties then ran on a joint list with the Religious Zionist Party,{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/far-right-parties-led-by-smotrich-and-ben-gvir-merge-ahead-of-election/|title=Far-right parties led by Smotrich and Ben Gvir, a Kahane disciple, join forces|work=The Times of Israel|date=3 February 2021|access-date=2 April 2021}} with the party's leader, Avi Maoz, receiving the sixth spot.{{Cite news |last1=Hilai |first1=Sivan |last2=Azulai |first2=Moran |last3=Nahshoni |first3=Kobi |date=4 February 2021 |title=השמות והרשימות: אלו המועמדים לכנסת ה-24 |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/S1OletYgu |access-date=5 January 2023}} Maoz was subsequently elected to the Knesset as the list won six seats.{{Cite web |title=תוצאות האמת של הבחירות לכנסת ה-24 |url=https://votes24.bechirot.gov.il/ |website=CEC |language=he}}

The three parties agreed{{Cite web |first1=Hezki|last1=Baruch|first2=Dvir|last2=Amar |date=14 September 2022 |title=Noam party to run together with Religious Zionism |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/359813 |access-date=28 December 2022 |website=Israel National News |language=en}} to run jointly in the 2022 Israeli legislative election on 14 September 2022, with Maoz receiving the 11th spot.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/national-unity-religious-zionism-and-yisrael-beytenu-submit-final-candidate-lists/|title=National Unity, Religious Zionism and Yisrael Beytenu submit final candidate lists|work=The Times of Israel|date=14 September 2022|access-date=20 November 2022|author=Carrie Keller-Lynn}} On 20 November 2022, both Noam and Otzma Yehudit split from the RZP, ending their technical bloc.{{Cite web |last=Keller-Lynn |first=Carrie |date=20 November 2022 |title=Separating from Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit and Noam now independent parties |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/separating-from-religious-zionism-otzma-yehudit-and-noam-now-independent-factions/ |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=The Times of Israel |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=20 November 2022 |title=Split of Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Noam parties approved |url=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/363107 |access-date=29 December 2022 |website=Israel National News Arutz Sheva |language=en}} On 27 November 2022, Noam reached a coalition agreement with Likud.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-puts-extremist-homophobic-politician-in-charge-of-israels-jewish-identity/|title=Netanyahu puts extremist homophobic politician in charge of Israel's Jewish identity|work=The Times of Israel|first=Carrie|last=Keller-Lynn|date=27 November 2022|access-date=27 November 2022}} On 3 January 2023,{{Cite web |title=אושר הרכב הקבינט המדיני-ביטחוני החדש - אלו השרים שיהיו חברים בו |url=https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/Article-969808 |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=www.maariv.co.il}} Maoz became a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, responsible for external programs in the Ministry of Education.{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=Nina |date=29 December 2022 |title=סגנית ושתי שרות במשרד רה"מ, משרד שנפתח מחדש: התיקים שנתפרו במיוחד |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/r1qor7jto |access-date=5 January 2023}} Maoz left the government in March 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/deputy-minister-avi-maoz-quits-government-railing-against-pressure-of-deep-state/ |title=Deputy Minister Avi Maoz quits government, railing against pressure of ‘deep state’|work=The Times of Israel|first=Sam|last=Sokol|date=24 March 2025|access-date=27 March 2025}}

Noam argues that public sector entities, including the Ministry of Education and the IDF, have been infiltrated by what their 2019 platform refers to as "radical liberal agendas", "LGBT and Reform organizations", and "foreign entities ... promoting a liberal and feminist worldview".{{Cite web |date=18 July 2019 |title=נגד להט"בים ורפורמים: המפלגה החדשה שמאיימת לנגוס בקולות הימין - וואלה! בחירות 2022 |url=https://elections.walla.co.il/item/3248261 |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=וואלה! |language=he}} The party advocates for what it terms "traditional family values", opposes abortion rights, same-sex marriage, and LGBT rights, and additionally supports stricter restrictions during the Sabbath and granting more authority to the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, with Maoz stating in 2022 that Noam will "... introduce a fourth branch of government, the Chief Rabbinate".{{Cite web |last=Haim |first=Ami |date=15 February 2022 |title=חה"כ אבי מעוז: "נוסיף את הרבנות הראשית לשלוש הרשויות" |url=https://www.now14.co.il/%d7%97%d7%94%d7%9b-%d7%90%d7%91%d7%99-%d7%9e%d7%a2%d7%95%d7%96-%d7%9b%d7%a9%d7%a0%d7%a2%d7%9c%d7%94-%d7%9c%d7%a9%d7%9c%d7%98%d7%95%d7%9f-%d7%a0%d7%90%d7%a1%d7%95%d7%a8-%d7%91%d7%99%d7%a6%d7%95/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=עכשיו 14 |language=he-IL}}

The party released a video under the comment: "An entire country is going through conversion therapy. The time has come to stop it." In the video, a mother, father, and son go to vote on election day in September 2019, and the family is bombarded with LGBT and Reform imagery. Once they reach the voting booth, the mother writes on her voting slip, "Let my son marry a woman", while the father writes, "Let my grandson be Jewish".{{cite news |url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/265936 |title=Watch: New Religious Zionist party's first campaign video |date=15 July 2019 |website=Israel National News|last=Polon|first=Tal|access-date=15 July 2019}} The video was removed by YouTube for violating its terms of use.

In 2022, Ynet reported that Noam was keeping a list of women advising the Gender Affairs Advisor to the Chief of Staff, as well as LGBT educators and members of the press.{{Cite news |last=Eyal |first=Nadav |date=22 December 2022 |title=הרשימות השחורות של מפלגת נעם |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/sybqtyzkj |access-date=6 January 2023}}{{Cite web |title=הרשימות השחורות של מפלגת נעם |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |work=Ynet|language=he}} The lists drew criticism from public figures and politicians, including then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid.{{Cite news |last=Hilai |first=Sivan |date=22 December 2022 |title=לפיד על הפרסום ב-ynet: "גזען שמחזיק רשימות שחורות של להט"בים יהיה אחראי על חינוך ילדינו" |language=he |work=Ynet |url=https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/hyfeqzgts |access-date=6 January 2023}}

{| class=wikitable style=text-align:center

! Election

! Leader

! Votes

! %

! Seats

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! Government

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|-

| 2021

| rowspan=2|Avi Maoz

| colspan=2 rowspan=2| with Religious Zionist

| {{Composition bar|1|120|hex=#01AFF0}}

|–

| {{no2|Opposition}}

|-

| 2022

| {{Composition bar|1|120|hex=#01AFF0}}

| {{nochange}}

| {{yes2|Coalition}}

|}

{| class=wikitable

!Knesset

!Members

!Seats

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|24th

|Avi Maoz

|1

|-

|25th

|Avi Maoz

|1

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{{Reflist}}

{{Israeli political parties}}

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Category:Political parties in Israel

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Category:Political parties established in 2019

Category:Organizations that oppose LGBTQ rights in Israel

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