The buzz word today in the right-wing camp is ‘achdus’ as efforts to unite parties with Bayit Yehudi ahead of elections continue. Bayit Yehudi chairman, Rabbi Rafi Peretz, continues calling for achdus, but he does have conditions attached to such a move.
Peretz has set forth his conditions to run again with the Otzma Yehudit party, which is viewed by many as ‘right-wing extremist’. This time around, Peretz insists on excluding both Baruch Marzel and Bentzion Gupstein from the list, Ynet reports. The party’s leader, Dr. Michael Ben-Ari, was already disqualified for running, as he was categorized as being “racist” by the Central Election Committee.
It is added that just recently, Ben-Gvir announced that he was dissolving the agreement with Bayit Yehudi after he failed to adhere to their agreement, to implement the Norwegian Law and resign from Knesset as MKs after being appointed to the cabinet, to permit the next two people on the list enter Knesset, which would have included Ben-Gvir. Ben-Gvir announced that Peretz’s failure to do so has compelled him to void the agreement, indicating this time, the party would go it alone.
The report adds that in conversations with persons close to him, Peretz indicated dati leumi voters by and large view Baruch Marzel as being “too extremist”, and therefore “unacceptable to voters” and having him on the list would result in more damage than good. Peretz also differentiated between Ben-Gvir and Marzel, stating Ben-Gvir is far more moderate and does not lead an extreme political line as do Marzel and Gupstein.
The response from Otzma Yehudit: “We propose to Rabbi Rafi to solve the problems with his fellow party members who are looking for a candidate who is more popular than him and not to interfere in the placement of candidates in other parties. Otzma Yehudit will be in the next Knesset and we pray that Bayit Yehudi will also pass the threshold and Rabbi Rafi will not have to return to Halutza.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
The Norwegian Law was not inplemented because it was a new law and the Knesset was dissolved by the time the new Ministers, Peretz and Smotrich, had been appointed to their respective ministeries.
As far as “too extreme”…that is the whole point of tolerance, it’s easy to be tolerant of someone with the same values and hashgafa as oneself, that is near agreement, not really tolerance.
Those voters who find themselves in disagreement over some of the policies/opinions of either the “extreme right”, or the “liberal right” should “hold their noses” and vote for them anyway, convincing themselves that a government of Blue & White, Barak, Meretz, and Labor’s Peretz will be significantly worse.
In reality they are only voting for their own party and should mind their own business with respect to the other parties in some type of technical block with them.
If Litvish and Hassidim can do it, then so can they.
Be”H, everyone will come to their senses.
Michael Ben-Ari Was a member of knesset just 5 years ago
now he’s disqualified
how funny
Peretz is a loser! I would suggest Smotrich should evict Perez and continue with Ojzma Yehudi. Or, Smotrich leave Bayit Yehudi and join Otzma
BEIT YEHUDI IS JUST THE SAME OLD MAFDAL. A POLITICAL WHORE SELLING ITSELF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER.