Ariel: Bennett wants to break off Bayit Yehudi-National Union partnership
Sources in Minister Ariel's National Union faction say that Bennett plans to overhaul his party by reducing religious-right members and including more liberal women in effort to appeal to new voters.
The National Union, which has historically been partnering with other parties in Knesset elections, fears that Bennett wants to end their partnership in light of his desire to appeal to other potential voters.
"Bennett doesn’t want to run with us because we are too religious and too right-wing," Ariel said Monday. "There is genuine desire among the public for us to proceed as a united list in the next elections, but unfortunately, the response we are getting from the chairman is that he does not want to run with the National Union. Therefore, we must prepare to go to elections by ourselves."
National Union sources said Bennett has conveyed messages that he intends to give the party a "facelift," including a reduction in the number of religious-right members and the inclusion of liberal women.
