Habayit Hayehudi, National Union stake out Right

Parties position themselves to the right of new Likud Beytenu party, saying "We're the true nationalists."

By LAHAV HARKOV
Knesset 370 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Knesset 370
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem/The Jerusalem Post)
Habayit Hayehudi and National Union set out to position themselves clearly to the right of the new “Likud Beytenu” electoral list this weekend, saying they are the true representatives of the nationalist and traditional camps.
“After Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu chose the extremist secular agenda of Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, and after Liberman chose Netanyahu’s diplomatic compromises, like two states for two nations, the nationalreligious public is coming home,” MK Uri Ariel (National Union) stated.
“Now, someone who agreed to a Palestinian state and froze settlement construction joined someone who thinks the Palestinian state should have part of Israel’s territory,” MK Arieh Eldad (National Union) said, the first claim describing Netanyahu and the second Liberman.
Eldad added that the joint list will “free the Israeli public from shallow slogans,” and clarify who is truly right-wing.
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According to Habayit Hayehudi leadership candidate Naftali Bennett, the united Likud-Yisrael Beytenu list strengthens religious Zionism.
He explained that it is now clear that Netanyahu will be elected prime minister, and as such, voters must choose who they want in his coalition.
“[Labor chairwoman] Shelly Yacimovich, [former Peace Now secretary-general] Yariv Oppenheimer and [Yesh Atid leader] Yair Lapid, or Habayit Hayehudi and National Union,” are the options, Bennett said. “We will sound the clear voice of the nationalist camp that wants to keep settlements and security, and bring the Jewish soul back to the State of Israel.”
Meanwhile, National Union’s youth movement handed out fliers, bumper stickers and candy at Jerusalem and Gush Etzion intersections delineating a thesis similar to Bennett’s – that the election will determine if Netanyahu’s coalition will be rightist or centrist.
The group emphasized the need for the two parties “from MK Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) to [Habayit Hayehudi leadership candidate] MK Zevulun Orlev” to join forces.