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Members of the Tekuma Party held their primary elections and selected the lineup for the upcoming 20th Knesset elections. Uri Ariel maintains his leadership role followed by the CEO of the Regavim NGO, attorney Betzalel Smotrich. He is followed by MK Orit Struk, MK Zevulun Kalfa and Nachi Eyal. As a result of the agreement signed between Tekuma and Bayit Yehudi, Ariel will be in the 2nd slot on the Bayit Yehudi lineup, Smotrich in the 9th slot and Struk in the 15th slot. Kalfa, who had on two fewer votes than Struk, will be in the 18th slot, which is viewed as unrealistic since the polls do not show Bayit Yehudi receiving 18 seats.

Tabulating the votes did not take too long since only 89 of the 110 registered Tekuma voters turned out to exercise their right to vote. Smotrich received 55 votes, Struk 51, and Kalfa 49. Upon hearing the outcome of the primaries, Housing Minister Uri Ariel announced “we have an excellent lineup”.

Seeking to capitalize on the outcome of the elections, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid stated “a vote for Bayit Yehudi is a vote for Struck”, meaning to say the party is becoming increasingly extremist. When asked to comment on Lapid’s remarks, Struk stated that the hashkafa of Tekuma members is the same as that of Bayit Yehudi and she makes no apologies for her beliefs.

Yesh Atid officials added that after the election of the lineup, it is clear that Bennett can no longer portray himself as a liberal moderate with the Tekuma lineup included in the Bayit Yehudi party.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)