Speaking with the Maariv newspaper on Sunday 15 Kislev, Housing Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Ariel explained that while there are differences among the different factions of Bayit Yehudi on key issues, he hopes the party will remain united. Ariel and party leader Economy Minister Naftali Bennett are working to reach agreement by which Ariel’s Ichud Leumi/Tekuma faction remains with the mother party instead of splitting off and running independently.
MKs of Bayit Yehudi aligned with the Ichud Leumi faction include Ariel, Deputy Minister of Religious Services Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan, Orit Struk, and Zevulun Kalfa. Many feel if Ariel decides to break away the faction running on its own will not earn the minimum four seats required to enter Knesset.
Ariel told Ariel there is machlokes among the factions on two key issues, settling the Greater Land of Israel and religion and state.
Ariel stressed that despite all of the polls showing the party will increase significantly in the upcoming elections, he and his colleagues did what they could to prevent going to new elections for the good of the nation.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
The entire ‘machloket’ is about seats. Both Ariel and harav Ben-Dahan will have no problem getting elected in the upcoming primaries. Tekuma MKs Struk and Kalfa, on the other hand, have not been impressive as MKs and may fail to secure realistic places on the list if they run in the upcoming primaries with everyone else. Ariel is fighting to secure seats for them. Ha vetu lo.
#1
It is much more than about seats .it’s about overall direction of the party and the country.
[But for a Bennet promoter,that would be more convenient to pretend to ignore]