Otzma Yisrael party leader Dr. Michael Ben-Ari and Baruch Marzel surprised some by attending a yahrzeit event hosted by HaGaon HaRav Meir Mazuz Shlita on Tuesday evening 15 Teves. The two were treated as VIP guests, as was MK Yoni Chetboun, who broke away from Bayit Yehudi and is running with Yishai. It has since been learned the Rav Mazuz invited Ben-Ari, who he feels may party with Yishai in the upcoming elections.
With Yishai struggling to pass the minimum threshold, Ben-Ari’s estimated voting pull of 50,000 votes may be what Yishai needs for his party to get into Knesset. On the other hand, a union between the two would place Yishai in the ‘right-wing extremist camp” in the eyes of Knesset and the media for teaming with Ben-Ari and Marzel.
The meeting at Rav Mazuz’s event was the first time Yishai spoke with Ben-Ari face-to-face and no problems were reported. It is reported that Yishai was pleased to see Rav Mazuz’s guests and he did not hesitate to speak with them. Now it remains to be seen if Yishai will align with Otzma Yisrael.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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10 Responses
1, When was Yishai ever “left”?
2. Why wouldn’t Otzma Yisrael align with Yishai and Chetboun, unless they have plans for the next few years and really don’t want to get elected.
Yishai might not align with them because they are hated by Netanyahu and Bennett and can possibly end them up in the opposition.
They also don’t necessarily represent the derech of “Maran zt”l” and it would be hard to sell himself as the “real” derech of Maran.
Finally a nice picture of Yishai!
Halevey!
They’ll have my vote! Please get Feiglin in there with you.
I find this headline to be misleading. Ideologically speaking, there is no daylight between Ha’am Itanu and Otzma Yehudit.
This is a spin from Ben-Ari’s camp. Yishai has wisely shown no inclination to have anything to do with Otzma Yehudit, which is the current incarnation of Kach. Otzma Yehudit knows that it has no chance of getting into the Knesset by itself and is looking to run with a larger party. But running with Otzma Yehudit will alienate many potential voters and will make it extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, for Yishai to get an invitation to join the coalition. Yes, their votes are a temptation, but not all that glitters is gold.
Extreme right. Ok. Extreme by who’s definition? Netanyahu? Livni? Herzog? Burg? Tibi?
Let me see what does otzma stand for that is so extreme? Their work in stopping Arab and jewish relationships? Their belief in settling all of eretz yisroel? Their support of transfer? I expect to hear the left call them extreme. If we limit our political parties to the thinnest of differences we will no doubt have the Arabs in power and there is one thing that they all agree on..
#8- Their support of transfer? – Yes, their support of transfer. Not one party in the Knesset supports transfer. Not one.
If this would happen it would only happen as a technical block, they would run on one list, but break up right after they get sworn into keneset. (Simmilar to Likud-Beiteinu, except they stayed together for a year after the election.) For those of you doubting that Ben-Ari is a right wing extremist, he is. I consider myself a right wing nut-job and he is a step to the right of me. I voted for him in the last election, but he is for sure an extremist, just look at some of his rallies. If not for my concern thtat it’ll allieate some of Yishai base i would say this si a great idea (and one that I’ve been thinking about since Yishai started the party), my only fear s that some of the Yishai voters will get scared oof by Ben-Ari. He needs to make clear that he isn’t combiing with Ben-Ari, but that are only running together to save RW votes from not being counted (which would cause half of their votes to basically go the livi, herzog and the arab parties.) But by combining with them Yishai also looses a lot of his confidence and ppl might not vote fo him because now he is basically admitting that he cant make it in alone. He can spin it to make it look ike he thinks he is going to get in, and is only trying to save their votes, but it’ll be hard. I still don’t get why more people aren’t voting for yishai, his party looks liek its the best thing that has ever happened to israel!
Yachad- HaAm Itanu!!!