Habayit Hayehudi head says party open to all

Members of the new right-wing party Habayit Hayehudi (The Jewish Home) admitted on Tuesday that the Likud party's Knesset roster that was elected Monday night could pose as a threat to them in the upcoming general elections.

The Likud's roster includes many prominent right-wingers including Moshe Feiglin and Benny Begin, and has no less than six religious candidates holding top positions.

Tuesday afternoon Habayit Hayehudi held its first press conference with Chairman Rabbi and Professor Daniel Hershkowitz. "Habayit Hayehudi is not a religious party," Hershkowitz said.

"Among graduates of religious educations you can find knitted skullcaps, black skullcaps and transparent skullcaps – they all have a place with us, and not just them. The secular public also has a large crowd that is linked to the people of Israel and the land of Israel by their soul – and Habayit Hayehudi is their home."

Hershkowitz added that Habayit Hayehudi "is not a rightist party, nor a leftist party", and there would be freedom to vote on political matters.

However, the rabbi also made clear his position, saying that "all of Israel is part of the land of Israel, and Jews should settle throughout the whole land. This does not need my approval."

Religious Zionism is now on the right path, in which it views itself as a leading partner in the leadership of the State of Israel in every field, Hershkowitz said.

Before the press conference Jewish Home sources responded to the results of the Likud primary elections. Member of the party's Public Council Dr. Asher Cohen told Ynet the results put Habayit Hayehudi in a tight spot.

"The problem is not that Likud leans to the right, because everyone knows where we stand and where they stand, but the six religious candidates, at least two-three of which could easily be on our roster, including women.

"Our battle is not over Marzel's 25,000 permanent votes, but over those that sway between Likud and Habayit Hayehudi, and over those that have already decided in the Likud's favor."

On the other hand, MK Zevulun Orlev (National Union-NRP) who is running for a place on Habayit Hayehudi's Knesset list, told Ynet he was not concerned with the Likud's results.

"It's important to understand that the battle is not with the 20-30 top Likud members, but with those that come after them. The ones that might enter the Knesset at the expense of members of Habayit Hayehudi," Orlev said.

Orlev claimed that despite the knitted skullcaps and the rightist candidates, there is nothing in the Likud similar to what Habayit Hayehudi represents.

"We have very rough disputes with this party on the Jewish character of the State, the character of Shabbat, the status of the courts and even the status of the High Court of Justice. In a certain sense, they have a lot of 'High Court Idols' there."