Yisrael Beiteinu: what they've published

Intro

0:00Yisrael Betenu says the first decision of the next government should be a state commission of inquiry into October 7th, and it wants a draft law under which anyone who evades service loses state benefits and deserters lose the right to vote. This is Close Read, and this is a series about what Israel's parties are promising to

About this series

0:20do in their own published words for English-speaking voters ahead of the October 27th election. One party per episode. I only use the party itself has made public. Their platform, their website, their official accounts, and on-the-record statements by their leaders. If they didn't publish it, it doesn't count. And if they publish nothing, that's the episode. Yisrael Betenu runs on the ballot letter Lamed, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, as a

Who they are

0:48single party. This party is published a lot, and in two languages. The main document is a Hebrew platform page on their website called Our Platform, last updated September 16th. It opens with 10 basic guidelines for the next government, and then has tabs on security, internal security, foreign policy, governance, the economy, religion and states, education, welfare, and health. There's also a separate Russian platform page, updated September 27th. It overlaps with the Hebrew one, but it adds things the Hebrew page doesn't have, including a housing plan, an immigrant program, and a list of constitutional principles. On top of that, they published a seniors platform in August, a youth education platform written with the student council, and a 16-page Russian campaign newsletter.

1:38I also use press releases on the party site and Lieberman's Russian language telegram channel. The originals are in Hebrew and Russian, and they're linked in the description. The platform lays out six security principles. Any border violation, quote, even by one

Security and foreign policy

1:56millimeter, counts as an invasion. Israel should strike first, fight in enemy territory, not let enemies build up their forces, and end every conflict with what it calls a clear decision. It also says the army should always keep enough munitions for 45 days of fighting. On money, the platform would raise the defense budget from 70 billion to 95 billion shekels a year for 10 years. The Russian page puts it a different way, as 8% of GDP for the coming decade. The Hebrew platform also lists a missile corps, five new armored brigades, and doubling the number of maneuvering divisions from three to six. On Gaza, the platform says Israel should keep freedom of military action and end its responsibility for the strip by closing the crossings and cutting off water, electricity, and fuel.

2:50Responsibility would pass to, quote, an agreed international body. An earlier English article on the party site from May 2025 proposed putting Gaza under Egypt with an Arab League mandate and supported what it called voluntary emigration of Gazans to Sinai. On the West Bank, the platform says to stabilize security and the economy in cooperation with Jordan. On his Telegram channel in September, Lieberman wrote about the West Bank in more detail. He wrote that Israel should keep territorial contiguity across all areas of Area C and keep full control there and reach an agreement for Jordan to administer areas A and B. Five days later, he wrote that the Palestinian Authority should be dismantled. The platform rejects a deal with the Palestinians alone and calls for a comprehensive regional package instead.

3:44It says that there will be no negotiations over Jerusalem. On Iran, a plan the party published in June says that for every Iranian launch at Israel, Israel would destroy Karg Island and the port of Bandar Abbas. The same plan says the Mossad should focus on one mission, bringing down the regime. On Lebanon, Lieberman called in March for the war aimed to be eliminating Hezbollah. And on the United States, the Russian platform says Israel should push to extend U.S. security aid past 2028 when the current agreement ends. This is item one in the platform. The first government decision would be a state commission of inquiry into the

October 7 accountability

4:29failures before what the platform calls the October 7 massacre. The commission would have a mandate to assign responsibility at the political, military and intelligence levels. In a September Telegram post, Lieberman wrote that the commission should also investigate the decision to let Qatari money into Gaza. The platform calls for a "package deal" for the economy. Less regulation, fewer ministries, breaking

Economy and cost of living

4:56up monopolies. The specific items include privatizing Ashdod port and the Haifa airport, ending the status of exclusive importers, and dismantling the agricultural production boards, including the poultry board. It would extend the work grant, Israel's earned income tax credit to single people over 26 earning up to 8,000 shekels a month, and it would cancel child allowances starting from the fifth child. There are also technology items. A billion shekels over five years for artificial intelligence and another billion shekels for national research labs. For the self-employed, it would create a voluntary savings fund that the state would match. The Russian page adds a daycare tax credit of 2,500 shekels a month for working couples where at least one spouse served in the army or does reserve duty.

5:46It also says funding should be cut to "sectors that do not carry the burden" and are not in the labor market. The Hebrew platform focuses on supply. Developers would compete on build quality delivery time and the final price to the

Housing

6:02buyer instead of on the price of the land. Local authorities that approve permits quickly would get paid for it. And regional councils would sign agreements for 2,500 permits each over four years. The Russian page adds a mortgage plan. Loans of up to 90% of the price over up to 40 years for homes up to 2.5 million shekels. It's limited to couples where at least one spouse did full military service or is an active reservist. The draft law would cover every Israeli at 18 "without distinction of religion or

Religion and state

6:38origin", with a military track and a civilian track. Draft evaders would lose allowances, discounts on housing and municipal tax, and eligibility for civil service jobs. Deserters would face a criminal record, a ban on leaving the country, and loss of the right to vote. The platform uses the phrase "separation of religion and state". Under that heading, it lists civil marriage and divorce for every citizen, public transport on Shabbat, decided by each local authority, and abolishing the religious councils. It wants one chief rabbi for Israel and one city rabbi for each town. And it would move rabbinical courts to the justice ministry. Yeshiva and kolel students would stop receiving stipends and "fund their studies from their own money".

7:29And the platform says the state will not re-examine the Jewishness of anyone who immigrated under the law of return. The platform calls for a written constitution and a constitutional court.

Judiciary and governance

7:42It would limit a prime minister to two terms, bar anyone under indictment from forming a government, and oppose both the so-called "French law" and the override clause. It would also amend the nation-state law to add equal rights for members of every religion and nationality. The Russian page adds that the largest party should get the first chance to form a government, and that the government should be able to hire outside lawyers, so it doesn't depend only on the Attorney General. In September, Lieberman wrote that the new government should appoint experts to draft a constitution, and that the Knesset should pass a law to put it to a national referendum. Core studies would be mandatory for every student: math, english, computers, civics,

Education

8:27and bible. Schools that don't teach the full core would get no state funding. Teacher raises would go straight into teachers' accounts. And 12th grade would become a year of preparation for adult life, and military or civilian service. The platform also says Arab teachers trained at universities in the Palestinian Authority or Jordan should have to pass a civics exam before teaching. The youth platform adds smaller classes and budget equality among school streams. The platform lists two new hospitals: one in the north and one in the south.

Health

9:04It also lists more positions for doctors and nurses in the periphery, more hospital beds, and bringing back a national diabetes program. It wants the drug basket updated on a thick schedule so patients don't have to lobby for it. The platform would raise every retiree's income to at least the minimum wage in two steps.

Social welfare, pensions, and the elderly

9:24It would give pensioners free public transport and raise the annual grant to holocaust survivors from 6,500 to 8,000 shekels. The seniors platform would raise the basic old age allowance in stages to 25% of the average wage, indexed to wages or prices, whichever is higher. It also calls for a minister or a dedicated authority at the government level for senior citizens. The platform says relations with the Arab minority rest on the Declaration of Independence.

Arab citizens and minorities

9:55It says it "expects the Arabs of Israel to show loyalty" to the state. It would legislate deterrent punishment for incitement against the state and for meeting with Israel's enemies. It says minorities who identify with the state and contribute to it are entitled to full rights, and those who act against it "must be fought by all legal means." The draft law would apply to Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Cercasians. A section whose Hebrew title translates word for word as "Judeization of the Galilee" calls for new communities and larger admissions committee quotas in the Negev and the Galilee. The Hebrew platform calls for a "ministerial

Immigration, absorption, and diaspora

10:41committee" for Aliyah. The Russian immigrant platform has 14 points. It would make the law of return a basic law, so a simple Knesset majority cannot change it. It would bring back a law on issuing passports to new immigrants, which it says the current coalition repealed. Other points include government services in immigrants' languages and faster recognition of foreign diplomas. I couldn't find a published platform on the environment or energy in either platform. On transportation beyond the Shabbat item

Environment, energy, and transportation

11:09and free rides for pensioners, the youth platform asks for cheaper public transport and cheaper driving licenses for younger people. The campaign slogan is "We must reach a decision."

What they put front and center

11:22Lieberman named six issues he says needs one: Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, the draft, organized crime, and a constitution. On crime, the platform calls for national headquarters against organized crime and three special courts for serious crime. It would allow administrative detention of crime bosses and use of spyware against them. The party is named MK Hamed Amar as its candidate for internal security minister. The platform does not address the environment, climate, or energy. Most other topics are covered, though

What's missing

11:58several items, including the mortgage plan and the immigrant program, appear only on the Russian pages. That's what Yisrael Beteinu has put in writing as of this recording. Every source I use is linked in the description, most of them in Hebrew or in Russian, so you can read them yourself. If they publish more before the election, I'll do my best to pin an update in the comments. Next is list number 12: Mishpat Tzedek, and the full playlist is linked below.