In addition to his responsibilities as prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu is quite busy these days in his tenacious efforts to keep the Manhigut Yehudit faction of his party headed by Moshe Feiglin from growing.

The American-educated master statesman and champion of democracy appears willing and able to revert to under-the-table tactics when it  comes to preserving his power base, realizing that Feiglin and his growing following does indeed pose a threat to his diluted ideology that is a far cry from the foundation on which Likud was built. Feiglin continues to remind his followers of the tenets on which Likud was founded, support for a Greater Land of Israel and not a leader who openly agrees to the two-state solution, the establishment of the State of Palestine that will include portions of Eretz Yisrael and her capital.

Feiglin, a shomer shabbos resident of Shomron, a number of years ago decided that rather than launch another political party, it would be more effective to work to turn Likud around, directing it back to its traditional roots. Elections of the Central Committee governing board should have been held months ago, elections that by all accounts would have resulted in a significant gain for the Feiglin camp, but they were delayed as the prime minister in his capacity as party leader used underhanded tactics to buy time. This week, he is busy with the exact same agenda as the Central Committee is set to convene again on Thursday, and Netanyahu is unrelenting in his opposition to the elections, seeking to pressure and persuade committee members to adopt his position.

Likud reports some 20,000 new members in the last year, and Netanyahu is trying to continue enlisting members to weaken Feiglin’s impact, seeking to buy time before the party’s governing body votes. If Netanyahu succeeds, elections will be held in November 2011, giving him ample time to enlist many new members who do not align with the Feiglin camp. If his efforts fail, he will be compelled to hold immediate elections.

At present, most feel he will have an extremely difficult time pushing off the vote again and if Feiglin emerges successful, it will represent a major victory for the right-wing Torah observant camp within the Likud.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)