The Revisionist Zionists was founded by Ze’ev Jabotinsky in 1923, along with its youth wing, Betar. The name of Revisionist Zionist stems from the demand by some Zionists for a revision of Chaim Weizmann’s policy of appeasement towards the British Government in Palestine. Ze’ev Jabotinsky who must be recognized as the man who kept this noble ideal focused on its true goal: the re-establishment of Israel as an independent Jewish nation in its ancient homeland.

Jabotinsky openly rejected Weizmann’s idea of an autonomous Jewish government in Eretz Israel. He ruled the proposal of Ben-Gurion and the Labor party for a division of land between Jews and Arabs.
In 1931, the World Zionist Congress was convened. Jabotinsky anticipated that he would have a majority for his resolution to re-establish a Jewish State in Israel, which would serve as a haven and a stronghold for the Jews of the Diaspora. However, during the congress, a telegram arrived from Israel warning that if the resolution were passed, a massive pogrom would happen there. In response, many of the delegates withdrew their support for the creation of a Jewish State, and instead supported Ben-Gurion, who demanded that the resolution not be passed.

Jabotinsky, in reaction to the weak-kneed reaction by the Congress’ delegates, tore his membership card in half, declaring that he and his followers were to leaving the WZO and establishing the New Zionist Congress, whose ideals were based on the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz Israel.

In time, it was discovered that the telegram was a forgery that was created with the sole intention of stopping Jabotinsky’s rise to the leadership of the World Zionist Organization.

The New Zionist Organization (N.Z.O.) served as a home for all those who believed in the establishment of a Jewish State. In a short time, the underground movement which liberated Israel from the colonial control of England was born as a natural extension of the N.Z.O. After the State of Israel came into existence, the Herut Party was founded by the same core of Jabotinsky’s followers.

At the time of Israel’s independence in 1948, the Revisionist Zionists was the largest right-wing organisation in the country. However, the founding of Herut by Menachem Begin in the same year dealt it a fatal blow. In the first Knesset, Herut had fourteen seats. Its original MK’s were Begin, Uri Tzvi Greenberg, Yaakov Meridor, Shmuel Katz, Hillel Kook, Yohanon Bader, Chaim Landau, Esther Raziel-Naor, Eri Jabotinsky, Arieh Ben-Eliezer, Avraham Shmuel-Rekanati, Eliahu Lankin, Shmuel Merlin, and Maguri Cohen.

In the Second Knesset, Herut suffered a great defeat, only managing to get eight seats. This is attributed to the subject of Greater Israel becoming “irrelevant,” causing many right wing voters to support the General Zionists, whose slogan was “Let us live in this land.”

In the Third Knesset, Herut significantly regained its power as a result of Menachem Begin’s campaign against German reparations. His heart-stirring speeches against the acceptance of “blood money” awakened the electorate to the honor and integrity that was the creed of Herut. Under the continuous leadership of Begin, Herut maintained its status as the third largest faction in the Knesset until it came to power in 1977.

In 1965, immediately prior to the election of the Sixth Knesset, a union was formed between Herut and the Liberal Party called “Gahal [Gush Herut Liberalim].”

In late 1973, following the Yom Kippur War, a number of small factions joined Gahal, creating the Likud Coalition.

In order to continue the work done until then by Herut Hazoar, after the creation of the new coalition was decided to develop an international wing of the Likud party, the World Likud was born. This new initiative transformed into a worldwide bridge between the Revisionist Zionists from the Jewish Diaspora and the supporters of Israel with the Israel people.

Some of the former heads of the movement where, Ambassador Eliahu Ben Eliesar, Mk Rony Milo and Ambassador Zalman Shoval.

It is important to understand that the World Likud is the umbrella organization of the Likud branches around the world. The Likud, as an Israeli party, is one on the chapters of this highly active organization that focus on issues concerning the Jewish People in Eretz Israel and around the world.