Bennett: At least half of Bayit Yehudi MKs should be female

"Every party or movement that does not put women at the top and use their power is made up of suckers," Bennett says at faction's Women's Forum.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Naftali Bennett at cabinet meeting 370 (photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky/Pool/Yediot Aharonot)
Naftali Bennett at cabinet meeting 370
(photo credit: Alex Kolomoisky/Pool/Yediot Aharonot)
More women should be involved in politics, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said at a Bayit Yehudi Women’s Forum conference Wednesday night.
Bennett expressed hope that “in the next primary many women will be elected and at least half of our MKs will be female. It should be natural.
“We’re one of the parties with the highest percentage of women and we’re proud of it.A woman [MK Ayelet Shaked] leads our faction,” he pointed out.
Most of Bayit Yehudi’s legislators attended the conference, including MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli, leader of the Women’s Forum, and the party’s other two female lawmakers, faction chairwoman Ayelet Shaked and MK Orit Struck.
“Any party or movement that does not put women at the top and use their power is made up of suckers,” Bennett said. “It’s not just a matter of values. In the economy and in business, I think it’s important that women take management roles. I want to convince business owners that it’s a good idea.”
Still, Bennett did not avoid stereotyping women, saying they “have less of an ego and work more cooperatively. They’re able to do more things at once.”
Moalem-Refaeli said women played a significant role in leading Bayit Yehudi to its successes in the last election and that thousands joined the party in its membership drive last year.
“This forum will bring changes to advance the status of Israeli women in general and specifically in religious Zionism. Religious women are leaders in all areas of Israeli society: business, law, education, Torah study and even politics,” she said.