Two Rivals Unite to Push Likud MK List to the Right of Netanyahu (updated)

The union between Shalom and Feiglin creates a formidable bloc within the Likud party that could result in a very different looking party list than Netanyahu would like to see.

By: Jewish Press Staff

Published: October 13th, 2012
Latest update: October 17th, 2012

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Silvan Shalom (L) with a Likud primary voter, back in 2008.
Photo Credit: Olivier Fitoussi /FLASH90

At an election event held in the backyard of Moshe Feiglin in Karnei Shomron, Samaria, a new alliance between Feiglin and Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and the development of the Negev and the Galilee Silvan Shalom has been announced. Insiders in both camps have been laboring for many months to forge this partnership, whose purpose is to position their people in higher spots on the Likud list than Netanyahu’s followers.

Other MKs who were also at Moshe Feiglin’s event at the same time were Tzipi Hotoveli, Miri Regev, and Aleli Admasu.

The union between Shalom and Feiglin creates a formidable bloc within the Likud party that could result in a very different looking party list than Netanyahu would like to see.

Silvan Shalom told the website Kr8 that “on Wednesday, the Likud Central Committee will convene to determine the rules and the date for the election primaries.” He estimated that the conference will be very short. “Proposals will be prepared in advance,” he said, “They’ll vote, sing Hatikva, and go home.”

He estimated the Likud primaries will be held in mid-November.

Shalom praised his host, Moshe Feiglin, noting that he was not the radical and messianic figure that the leftist media say he is. “Feiglin has stood the test of loyalty to the movement with honor. He did not abandon us when he was mistreated and hurt, as others have done.”

Moshe Feiglin said in his speech that in the previous elections the Likud had lost ten seats because of Netanyahu’s ugly trick of pushing Feiglin to an unrealistic spot down the candidates list, against the will of the primary voters. “The fact is that, before that maneuver, the polls gave us 38 seats, but after that maneuver we sank to 27 seats.”

Moshe Feiglin is considered to have a powerful influence within the Likud due to his large bloc of loyal supporters, as well as his outspoken public appearances against those he feels are not towing the traditional Likud line – most notably the Prime Minister himself.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has in return expended a great deal of creative energy in past primaries in devising ways to keep Feiglin out of the Knesset. Last time around, Netanyahu pushed Feigling down from the 20th spot on the list, which Feiglin had been awarded by the party voters, down to the 36th spot, killing his chances to enter the Knesset.

The vice premier and minister, who also enjoys a strong base within the Likud membership, and, like Feiglin, has also run for the post of Likud chief a few times and lost, is seemingly resigned to fact that today Netanyahu can’t be beat in the primaries. Instead of trying yet again to unseat Bibi, this new partnership will go after his weak spot. Many Likud party members are very unhappy with some of Netanyahu’s choices, especially regarding the status of Judea and Samaria. By pushing to the top of the list candidates further to the right of Netanyahu, they could keep the prime minister honest on living up to Likud platform.

Moshe Feiglin said that in this election, Manhigut Yehudit will not be publishing any lists, and that supporters should vote for whomever they think is the best candidates.

A Likud Central Committee party member said that the attendance at the event was an indication that Moshe Feiglin has been accepted by the mainstream Likud.