Bayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett plans to be a significant player in the 19th Knesset and he is not willing to settle for being a member of the opposition or a benign coalition member. Bennett has been taking his campaign to many southern areas, areas that historically voted Shas, hoping to receive more seats in the next Knesset than Shas towards becoming a prominent coalition partner.

Bennett feels “we must remove the responsibility for the housing portfolio from the chareidi sectarian hands” he tells Maariv in an interview scheduled to appear in the shabbos edition. He explains that he is confident that his party will take this ministry along with the Ministry of the Interior, both currently in Shas hands, adding “this will be a very good move for the State of Israel.”

Interestingly, until now, Bennett has released statements signaling an empathy with the chareidim but he has now ‘removed the gloves’ and is plainly challenging Shas’ authority as well as seeking to win over its voters. Undoubtedly Shas has its work cut out in the election as many parties are directing their campaign against it, perhaps less than willing to make peace with the Sephardi chareidi party’s successes over the years, leading to Shas maintaining long time control over the Interior Ministry, as well as the Housing Ministry of late.

The Ministry of Housing this week announced the average price of a new apartment stands at 1.42 million NIS. The average price of a used apartment stands at 1.06 million NIS.

Bennett is very clear in his remarks, explaining “I am not blaming the chareidim, but the government” for he feels the prime minister and the government are responsible to see to it that the ministers address the needs of the entire nation, and not act in a sectarian fashion as is Shas’ custom. Bennett explains that his party will work to lower housing prices nationwide, for all citizens, emphasizing the dire need to bring prices down to make housing affordable.

While he admits he has no aspirations of becoming defense minister, he does add there is a need to appoint a minister, whose responsibilities include the yishuvim throughout Yehuda and Shomron, who is not opposed to them, as is the case today with Defense Minister Ehud Barak, calling the current situation “unacceptable”.

A Yisrael HaYom poll gives Shas 12 seats and HaBayit HaYehudi 10.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)