Rightist bloc in the making?
Yesha council heads call for right-wing parties to join forces, form new united party ahead of upcoming elections, in a bid to form 'influential body that can safeguard settlers' interests'
A new Rightist political bloc in the making? The Yesha council is apparently on its way to recovery from the trauma of the disengagement, and appears to have pulled itself together ahead of the upcoming elections.
Yesha council leaders have launched an operation to sign up the heads of West Bank regional councils on a petition calling on the right-wing parties – National Union, National Religious Party and Avigdor Lieberman – to unite and form a united Rightist bloc, Ynet has learned.
Sources at the Yesha council have also reported that the council has initiated contacts with religious party Shas on the issue.
Meanwhile, the council's leaders are waiting to see which developments ensue within Likud: If the party splits, a faction headed by Knesset Member Uzi Landau may join the proposed rightist bloc as well.
Yesha council Head Bentzi Lieberman told Ynet that "joining together all the national forces into one political faction would establish a powerful body that would be able to influence the future elected prime minister."
"The surveys we have conducted indicate that such a union between the two parties will bring at least 17 mandates, while more optimistic estimates refer to a potential of 24 mandates," he added.
The petition is "a call for the leaders of those parties that are loyal to the land of Israel," and it states that "we currently stand on the verge of an election campaign. If the parties merge, the national camp that represents the settler public can become the third largest party at the Knesset, and thus serve as an influential element and work to safeguard Israel's security and settlement interests."
Once the petition is signed, it will be sent to the parties' leaders.
National Religious party not thrilled to unite
Meanwhile, a meeting held by members of the National Union Sunday concluded with a decision to set up a negotiations team to look into joining forces with the National Religious Party, but the NRP was not quick to embrace the idea of a united right-wing front.
NRP Chairman Zevulun Orlev told Ynet the proposal is "a working arrangement only. There would not be any new tidings here for religious Zionism should such a (joint) list come into existence."
Speaking to Ynet, Orlev said: "A joint list with the National Union party may diminish the power of religious Zionism in the Knesset. Unification may be accepted as a comfortable working arrangement for Knesset Members.
“The NRP aspires for a wide list of religious Zionist candidates with common stands on education, Jewish identity, and society. Such a list can be attractive for national religious voters who are currently voting for Likud and Shas. New forces must be injected which will reflect the centrality of religious Zionism."
Orlev was not particularly optimistic about the merger, saying, "Until members of the National Union understand that they need to change their priorities, which are based only on the political ticket, and until they stop viewing the party list as means for survival for their Knesset Members, a joint list will not be set up."
