With eye on top spot, Bennett's party changes constitution
Bayit Yehudi party members voted to change the party constitution, giving its chairman, Naftali Bennett, more authority to inject new blood into religious party, attract secular voters.
The Bayit Yehudy party – led by Economy Minister Naftali Bennett – overwhelmingly voted in favor of amending its constitution, with a majority of over 90 percent voting for the change, which will afford Bennett more power to change the Bayit Yehudi from a niche party to a viable candidate for Israel's leadership.
In Israel's parliamentary voting system, the government is formed from a list of competing parties who get their proportional share of the 120 Knesset seats. In most cases, the party with the most votes – or the most viable chance of forming a coalition – is charged with doing so. Therefore, though the system gives small niche parties substantial power in the coalition forming process, they rarely get chance to lead it.
The Bayit Hayehudi – a joint list of two rightwing religious-Zionist parties affiliated with the different strains of the religious settler movement – registered impressive gains under Bennett's leadership, rising from three Knesset seats to 12 in the last election.
Part of the shift was seen as connected to Bennett's charisma and ability to attract young and even secular voters. The growing role of MK Ayelet Shaked – a young secular woman who serves as the party's whip – is emblematic of the shift.
The vote over the party's constitution was viewed as a test of Bennett's leadership, as his attempt to reform the party and open it up to new voters was an election promise of his during the last party primaries.
Some of the party's old guard fought against the vote, which they said would allow him unrestrained power to turn the party away from its classic constituency.
The central change up for vote Wednesday evening had to do with regulation governing party membership as well as internal elections and governance.
For example, one change voted on stipulated shortening the period of time new party members must wait before they are allowed to vote and get elected to party institutions, with Bennett opting to give newcomers greater powers.
Another article gives Bennett the power to appoint an external candidates to one of the top five position's on the party's ballot during the next election, securing them a sure spot in the Knesset, as the party is bound to cross the five MK mark.
A source close to Bennett said the change allows the party to foster a new generation of leadership which will be allowed to participate in the party primaries, while also strengthening the party's sole leader's ability to lead. The claim that the change was "both "democratic" and "increased governance" was echoed by MK Shaked.
The move's detractors claimed it gave Bennett unchecked power which would allow devoid the party of its identity in favor of a 'catch-them-all' model.
The two sides reached a compromise agreement according to which the dissenter would support Bennett's constitution amendment, lift their demand for a secret ballot and support the party's Constitution Committee as a standing committee, thus leaving a window open for future changes.
According to the agreement, an advisory committee will be established and headed by Rabbi Yitzhak Levy that will submit recommendation for the amendment of the constitution to the party's congress within 3-5 month.
The deal was reached under the brokerage of Deputy Education Minister Avi Wortzman.
