The machlokes between the Bayit Yehudi party and the Ichud Leumi faction appears to be widening, and currently it does appear they will split and run independent of one another in the next Knesset elections.
Minister Uri Ariel and MK Betzalel Smotrich are from the Ichud Leumi faction, and they are now demanding representation, sealed slots in the lineup, one for their faction in every three persons entering Knesset. Senior Bayit Yehudi officials feel their demands are unreasonable, and they are not willing to secure these slots for them in the next election. They feel the party will do fine on its own and that Ichud Leumi does not bring sufficient votes to agree to giving them so many slots in the lineup.
Ariel is being blamed by some with “causing machlokes” with his demands, but he remains firm and appears willing to run without Bayit Yehudi in the elections. Some of the criticism is heard from his own central committee, the governing body of the party which has to approve any deal reached with Bayit Yehudi. The critics feel that Ariel is being too rigid as well as unreasonable in his demands.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
3 Responses
LOGICALLY THEY SHOULD RUN WITH OTZMA (BARUCH MARZEL)
Here we go again. If the Ichud really believes that it has so many voters (they are currently claiming that if they run separately that they will get 4-5 MKs) then let them either run separately or, better yet, participate in the BY primaries like all the other BY MKs. Enough already with this ugly behavior.
NAFTALICOLEMAN – BY will certainly not run with Otzma, which is just the current iteration of Kach. Even Ichud Leumi is highly unlikely to do so, not only for ideological reasons but because (a) many potential Ichud voters will not vote for them if they run with Otzma and because (b) no foreseeable coalition will even consider accepting Otzma as a coalition partner, which means that if the Ichud runs with Otzma they are dooming themselves to the rear benches of the opposition – if they even manage to get into the Knesset.
Yeow, you mean it’s not only the Chareidim who have these disagreements? Who woulda’ thunk?