Dr. Ronen Shoval, founder of the grassroots Zionist student movement Im Tirtzu, declared on Thursday his candidacy for the next Knesset on the Jewish Home list, vowing: “I will fight with all my might against the influence of the leftist elite of the New Israel Fund in the courts, in academia and in culture.”
In an interview this morning with Ilana Dayan on IDF Radio, Shoval said: “In recent years, I fought and led national struggles for Zionism against the extreme left – the New Israel Fund, the High Court’s judicial coup, post-Zionism in academia, illegal migrants from Africa, and many others. Today I announce that I will continue to fight the radical left-wing stronghold, full force, but this time I will work from the Knesset for the people of Israel.”
Shoval was the chairman of Im Tirtzu for eight years from its inception. Last year, Shoval served as a member of the World Zionist Organization and the Jewish Agency. During the Disengagement from Gush Katif, he founded the “Orange Group” [Ta Katom] and led a 12-day hunger strike against the withdrawl from Gaza.
At the helm of Im Tirtzu, which has 15 branches on campuses all over Israel, Shoval initiated several campaigns: exposing the connection between the New Israel Fund and the Goldstone Report, exposing the false narrative of the Nakba (“Nakba Nonsense”), exposing the deep-rooted post-Zionism in academia, the struggle for democracy, and the blocking of the judicial coup.
Additionally, he has led several public campaigns: for soldiers' rights, for integrating minorities into a Zionist Israeli society, for strengthening mutual responsibility, and more. In addition, Shoval writes about innovations in Zionist thought and has published a book on the subject.
Shoval said in a press statement: “I want to be in the Knesset for the Zionist majority that believes in the justice of the way and that understands that in order to maintain the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, we must work together against anti-Zionists who are working to destroy its Jewish-Zionist-democratic character.
“I will fight with all my might for the State of Israel to be more Zionist, more Jewish, and more democratic. I will do so by eliminating the overstepping of judicial boundaries by the High Court; by applying Israeli sovereignty in the Negev, the Galilee, in southern Tel Aviv, on the Temple Mount and in all parts of Israel that are currently abandoned; by challenging extreme left organizations; by bringing Zionism to academia, and by passing the Jewish State law.”