Shelf party

The phrase shelf party (Hebrew: מפלגת מדף) refers to a political party that is legally registered but not active, and can be purchased to convert it into a new party. Shelf parties are widely used in Israeli politics to bypass lengthy registration processes.

One instance is Homat Torat Yisrael, which is a faction within United Torah Judaism which was formed in September 2026 using an inactive party. Sometimes, these parties keep their original name after the takeover; New Right was officially known as "Tzalash", which is the name of the shelf party which was used. Otzma Yehudit used Eretz Yisrael Shelanu as a shelf party in September 2026 to gain more funding units. The party has used shelf parties previously.

A shelf party is also used to allow people to legally switch their parties after the election. Examples for the latter include Democratic Choice in 2020 and Ahi in 2019.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bennett Moves to Rebrand Party as Poll Numbers Continue to Slide". Matzav.com. 3 July 2026. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
  2. ↑ Yair Hoffman (8 September 2026). "Drama in United Torah Judaism – 3 Way Split". VINnews. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  3. ↑ Lahav Harkov (30 December 2018). "Report: Bennett and Shaked's new party to be called 'Tzalash'". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 September 2026.
  4. ↑ "הטריק והשטיק של בן גביר: רשם "מפלגת מדף" ויקבל מימון בשווי 1.8 מיליון שקל". ynet (in Hebrew). 8 September 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2026.
  5. ↑ Eliana Fleming (7 September 2026). "Ben-Gvir Opens Second Party for Funding". JFeed. Retrieved 25 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Susan Hattis Rolef (13 May 2019). "The convoluted politics behind the government that is shaping up". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 9 September 2026.