Naftali Bennett
Naftali BennettFlash 90

Nationalist activist Baruch Marzel of Hevron, a member of the Otzma Leyisrael party that barely missed out in the last elections, criticized the Jewish Home party on Thursday - a day after it passed a controversial new party constitution expanding its chairperson's authority.

Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Marzel argued the supposedly religious Zionist party had turned into "Meimad B from a religious perspective," referring to a left-wing religious Zionist party in existence until 2009.

The comment comes in response to a decision to prominently feature secular candidates and appeal to Russian-speaking and Druze sectors, in what a party insider described to Arutz Sheva as a shift of focus to the secular public even at the cost of religious support.

"We warned (Jewish Home Chairperson) Naftali Bennett; it must be said he was decent enough to say that he is ready to give up on many things, also in terms of the field of religion and the land of Israel, in order to be the prime minister," said Marzel.

Marzel added "these are people who joined with Yesh Atid, and because of them a million Jews hate us today," referring to accusations that Jewish Home ran a negative campaign against Otzma Leyisrael in the last elections.

"The Jewish Home leadership is connected on the religious level to Meimad - (Jewish Home Constitution Committee Chair) Daniel Tropper and his friends came from Meimad; that they are representing religious Zionism is a disgrace," charged Marzel.

The nationalist activist argued it is preferable to have a small party with a strong ideology in the opposition, rather than to have a large Jewish Home party in the coalition without a clear goal.

"They sat in a government that frees terrorists," reminded Marzel, noting the 78 terrorists freed in "gestures" during the peace talks that ended in April.

"Naftali Bennett's promises and declarations today are small and minor as opposed to the promises of (Prime Minister Binyamin) Netanyahu before he became prime minister, and we saw what resulted. Today we have a government that freezes the settlement in Judea and Samaria," concluded Marzel.

Marzel's comments about the declarations of Bennett, who formerly served in Netanyahu's office, come after Bennett outlined his proposal for a national plan in a Wall Street Journal article before Operation Protective Edge back in May.

Bennett proposed giving "Palestinians complete freedom of movement, which requires removing all roadblocks and checkpoints in the West Bank. In particular, Israel should dismantle the security barrier erected throughout the last decade to defend against Palestinian terror attacks during the Second Intifada."

Bennett further proposed Arab autonomy in Areas A and B, and the offering of full Israeli citizenship to Arab residents of Area C; Justice Minister Tzipi Livni (Hatnua) slammed the proposal as "the end of Zionism."