The Right
In the first Knesset the Right was represented by two parties: the Herut Movement, most of whose members emerged from the IZL pre-state underground, and the tiny Fighters List, which represented its associate LEHI underground, but whose leader, Natan Yellin-Mor, rapidly moved to the extreme Left.

The Herut Movement, led by Menachem Begin, advocated the idea of a Greater Land of Israel on both sides of the Jordan River, opposed any compromise with the Arabs, and was a vehement opponent of socialism. At the same time, it was a staunch upholder of the rule of law and supported the abolition of the Military Administration over the Arab minority. As long as David Ben-Gurion was prime minister, the Herut Movement was politically ostracized. However, after Levi Eshkol became premier in 1964 the party was "legitimized." In 1965 Herut formed the Gahal bloc with the Liberal Party, and on the eve of the Six Day War, Gahal joined Eshkol's government. Gahal left the government in 1970, against the background of the American Rogers Plan, and in 1973 formed the Likud with several additional small center and right-wing parties and groups.

Besides the National Religious Party, which started to move to the Right after the Yom Kippur War (see section on religious parties), more extreme right-wing parties began to appear after the Likud formed its first government in 1977 and consequently became more pragmatic in its approach and policies. Tehiya, founded by Geula Cohen, appeared in 1981 against the background of opposition to the return of the Sinai to Egypt. Tsomet, founded by Raphael Eitan in 1983, was the first right-wing party that also advocated drafting haredi youth for military service. Kach, founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, advocated a racist anti-Arab policy and failed to pass the qualifying threshold in three elections, before Kahane finally entered the 11th Knesset (1984). The emergence of Kach led to several pieces of legislation, designed to prevent such racist parties being allowed to run in future elections. Moledet, founded by Rehavam Ze'evi, advocates a "voluntary transfer" of the Arab population and entered the 12th Knesset (1988).

After the first Begin government brought peace with Egypt and the second brought war in Lebanon, the Likud cooperated with the Labor Party in national unity governments in the years 1984-90. Purely right-wing--religious coalitions were then formed by Yitzhak Shamir in 1990 and Binyamin Netanyahu in 1996. Both governments did not last their full terms, because of opposition by the more extreme right-wing elements within them to the peace process, which led to early elections.