Michael Kleiner
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| Michael Kleiner | |
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| Date of birth | April 4, 1948 |
| Year of Aliyah | 1951 |
| Knesset(s) | 10th, 12th, 14th, 15th |
| Party | Herut – The National Movement |
| Former parties | Likud, National Union |
Michael Kleiner (born April 4, 1948 in Munich, Germany) is an Israeli politician and leader of Herut – The National Movement.
He first entered the Knesset in 1981 as a Likud parliamentarian but, upon then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu relinquishing Hebron to the Palestinian Authority, Kleiner split off from the Likud along with Benny Begin (Menachem Begin's son) and David Re'em to establish Herut – The National Movement, based on the original Herut. The three enjoyed the political support of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir and long-time Revisionist author and original Herut Knesset member Shmuel Katz, which greatly legitimized their use of the name Herut. They initially ran for the 15th Knesset as part of the National Union block together with Tkuma and Moledet but after the poor electoral showing of only four seats, Begin resigned from politics and Kleiner assumed the party's leadership. Eventually breaking off from the National Union, Kleiner and Herut failed to be re-elected in the 2003 election.
Michael Kleiner is well known in Israel for his uncompromising views on retaining territory reclaimed in the 1967 Six Day War and his attempts at solving Israel's demographic issue. He has earned a reputation as one of Israel's hardest working parliamentarians and was one of the few Knesset members to initiate an open door policy (another was Yossi Sarid) to the public. While Kleiner was a member of Knesset, all Israeli citizen were able to approach his office with personal, family or financial difficulties in hopes that he would use his position to intervene on their behalf with government institutions. Acknowledged in Israeli politics as being above the smell of corruption, Kleiner is widely viewed as a throwback to the classic secular Revisionists of previous decades. Like Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir, Kleiner's strong Jewish nationalism stems more from the teachings of Zev Jabotinsky whose philosophy is centered on the Torah's promise of Israel being the eternal home of the Jewish People as well as the heritage of the crown of King David belonging to the Jewish people.
Michael Kleiner has consistently acted to thwart the Israeli government's destruction of Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank although he has failed to garner the policial support of most religious Israeli settlers. Since their sensed betrayal by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in the summer of 2005, the settler community has become increasingly weary of secular nationalist politicians. Even from outside the Knesset, Kleiner has continued to work for his public agenda. A major part of his strategic view for Israel's survival is a proposal to offer residents of Israel willing to move to an Arab country a financial package similar to that given to Jewish immigrants to Israel. This would work to encourage Arab emigration and ease the demographic pressure currently confronting Israel. Kleiner is generally disliked by Arab and liberal groups in Israel who, while accusing him of racism, begrudgingly acknowledge his humility and political integrity. He has not been a member of the 16th or 17th Knessets because his party did not meet the minimum vote requirement.
