Glossary - Israel: An Introduction - page 336

Shinui — A secular, centrist political party established in 1974, a faction of Meretz from 1992 to 1997 that
reemerged as an independent party in 1997. Shinui was successful in the late 1990s and early years
of the twenty-fi rst century but disappeared after failing to win any seats in 2006.
Shirei Eretz Yisrael — Nationalist folk songs.
Sinai Peninsula — Desert region of Egypt captured by Israel in 1956, returned in 1957, captured again in
1967, and returned as part of a 1979 peace agreement.
Six-Day War — The 1967 war in which Israel captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem from Jordan, the
Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt, and the Golan Heights from Syria.
Suez War — The attack on Egypt in 1956 by Israel, France, and Britain following Egyptian nationalization
of the Suez Canal and cross-border attacks on Israel.
Tami — Small religious party that split from the National Religious Party in 1981 to represent Mizrahim.
Its popularity declined in 1984 with the emergence of Shas; it won only one seat that year and
merged into the Likud.
Tehiya — Small nationalist political party formed in 1979 to oppose the peace agreement with Egypt. It
won two to fi ve seats in the Knesset throughout the 1980s but failed to win any seats in 1992 and
disappeared.
Third Aliya — The wave of Jewish immigration to Israel (the Palestine Mandate) after World War I (1919 -
1923) in which about 35,000 Jewish immigrants arrived, mostly from Eastern Europe.
Tsena — Literally, “austerity”; the period from 1949 to 1953 when rationing was required to deal with the
new state's precarious economic situation.
Tzomet — Right-wing nationalist political party established in 1983 that opposed yielding territory to the
Palestinians. The party won eight seats in the Knesset in 1992, its peak number, but has failed to
win any since 1996 despite running in every election.
Ulpan — Intensive Hebrew language class for immigrants.
United Arab List — Israeli Arab party established in 1996 and controlled by the Islamic Movement that
advocates the transformation of Israel into an Islamist state. The United Arab List sometimes runs
in elections in alliances with other Arab parties.
United Nations resolutions. See Resolution 242; Resolution 425.
United Torah Judaism — The political party, made up of Agudat Israel and Degel HaTorah, that repre-
sents the Haredim. It was formed in 1992.
West Bank— Area on the west bank of the Jordan River captured by Jordan in the War of Indepence in
1948. Israel took it back in 1967 and ruled it until 1994, when much of the area was yielded bit by
bit to the Palestinian Authority. Israeli settlements are also located there.
Wye River Accord — A 1998 agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Israeli departure
from the West Bank in exchange for Palestinian cessation of anti-Israel actions.
Yediot Ahronot — The Israeli newspaper with the largest circulation.
Yerida — Literally, “descent”; refers to Jewish emigration from Israel.
Yeshiva (plural: yeshivot)— School or seminary for the study of Jewish texts.
Yishuv — The Jewish community in the Land of Israel, reestablished in the late nineteenth century.
Yisrael B'Aliya — A Russian immigrant political party established in 1996 and led by Natan Sharansky.
It initially won seven seats in the Knesset but had just two by 2003. It joined the Likud after the
2003 elections.
Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home)— A nationalist Russian political party founded in 1999 and led by
Avigdor Lieberman. It was in an alliance with the National Union from 2000 to 2006. It won fi f-
teen seats in the Knesset in 2009.
Yom Kippur War — The 1973 war in which Egypt and Syria attacked Israel by surprise on the Yom Kippur
holiday.
Zionism — Nationalist movement supporting Jewish sovereignty; a belief in the right of Jews to have a
state in their historical national homeland.