Yachad party leader Eli Yishai responded to a number of attacks leveled against him from the Bayit Yehudi party. In one of his attacks, Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett called Yachad a “superfluous party”.

Yishai began with an attack against Bayit Yehudi for the anti-religious legislation that is was a part of in the outgoing coalition government.

Yishai added “My dear Naftali, many, perhaps including you are asking what the difference is between Bayit Yehudi and Yachad. Yesterday you described us as superfluous. That being the case it is important for you to understand the value of our presence and the uniqueness of the party.

“We are the only party that unites bnei yeshivos, avreichim who work, settlers, dati leumi, and non-religious of both the Ashkenazi and Sephardi communities to truly concern ourselves with everyone. We do not interfere with your efforts to enlist voters. We don’t claim to be competing with Likud, but rather a strong independent party that will lead and not be led.

“We will not agree to harm the Torah world. We will not compromise the religious status quo with the awful laws passed by the last government of which you are a member. We did not bother you when a candidate on your list voted in favor of smoking drugs, who backs legalizing drugs, which delivers a harsh message to our young.

“We did not attack you when you decided to oust Eli Ochana, which raised a few eyebrows among Sephardim, and we wonder by the soccer player is out but the drug smoker remains. We will be a part of the next coalition and government on behalf of our voters and Klall Yisrael and we will support them each according to his own hashkafa exactly as we promise ahead of elections.

“We will not stutter about a so-called peace, land concession and release of murderous terrorists with blood on their hands. We will safeguard Toras Yisrael, Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael without apology. Naftali my brother, Yachad is the only right-wing party on the right that is also torani and social. Therefore, if it is important to you on Election Day that the right-wing bloc is strengthened, place, exhibit responsibility”.

In a Tuesday morning 19 Adar morning interview with Kol Chai Radio, MK Yoni Chetboun, who is on the Yachad list, stated that Naftali Bennett today is making the same mistakes he made in the last elections and his irresponsible statements only serve to weaken the political right.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)