Hawkish Likud activist Moshe Feiglin appeared to have successfully completed a
long journey to the Knesset Sunday with indications at press time that he would
win one of the top 20 slots on the party’s Knesset list.
Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu personally intervened to prevent Feiglin from running for the
Knesset in 2006 and to ensure his demotion to an unrealistic slot in 2009. But
Netanyahu and his loyalists did not interfere this time against Feiglin, who has
gradually become seen as more mainstream in the party.
Netanyahu and
Feiglin grew closer when they mourned the deaths of their fathers together. In
the ultimate sign that Feiglin is no longer considered controversial, no fewer
than eight Likud ministers as well as Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin attended the
wedding of Feiglin’s son Aryeh and his bride, Todayah, in Bnei Brak in
May.
Before he cast his ballot at the Jerusalem International Convention
Center, Feiglin said he hoped the Likud list would be as faithful as possible to
Jewish identity.
“My voice needs to be in the Likud faction,” Feiglin
said. “It is the clear voice of our values in Likud. I am not against Netanyahu.
I am ready to work with him. I have full cooperation with everyone in
Likud, including the prime minister.”
Praising the Likud’s deal with
Yisrael Beytenu, Feiglin said the entire national camp should unite into a
larger party that represents the entire Right like the Republican party in the
United States.
Feiglin featured prominently in a deal made with Vice
Premier Silvan Shalom and powerful MK Haim Katz, all three of whom have brought
thousands of people to Likud.
But he said he was staying away from such
political horse trading.
“I am not telling anyone whom to support,”
Feiglin said. “I just told people to vote for me.”