Reports of pre-election cooperation between Herut and Hazit - both vying for right-wing camp votes - have been nixed by Hazit leader Baruch Marzel.
Herut is the list of candidates led by Michael Kleiner and Yehoshua Meiri, and Hazit is headed by Marzel and Yisrael Hanukoglu. Neither is expected to receive a sufficient amount of votes to enter the Knesset - though Kleiner has said that media predictions of this sort are "self-fulfilling prophecies."
Marzel and Meiri, long-time acquaintances, met on Purim at Meiri's yeshiva in Ramat Aviv, and discussed the possibility of joining forces in one constellation or another. The two lists cannot merge, as the final lists of Knesset candidates cannot be changed at this late date. However, one party can drop out of the race and throw its support for the other.
Meiri explained that it would make sense for Marzel's Hazit to drop out: "Our voters come from Kadima and the Likud, and they would never vote for Marzel under any circumstances. But Marzel has much influence with his supporters, and if he tells them to, most of them would vote for us."
Marzel, for his part, said today that no such possibility is in the offing: "We are running until the end, and we will not drop out," he told Arutz-7.
Kleiner and Marzel ran together on the Herut list in the last election, and received only just over 34,000 votes - some 10,000 short of the required minimum to enter the Knesset. Asked why they didn't run together this time, Marzel said it was because Kleiner had been considering running together with anti-Disengagement Likud MK Michael Ratzon, "with whom I have nothing in common."
Meanwhile, the Nation Union/NRP list picked up the endorsements of a large group of religious-Zionist rabbis, as well as the umbrella organization of Israel's physically handicapped. The latter organization, which represents some 20 different organizations, said they wished to thus recognize the work of MKs Zevulun Orlev and Sha'ul Yahalom on their behalf in the outgoing Knesset.
On the other hand, several religious-Zionist rabbis, mostly former supporters of the left-wing Meimad movement, which is running together with Labor, announced their support of Kadima.
Five MKs of the NRP/NU list visited a popular campaign locale today - the shuk, or outdoor market in the Machaneh Yehuda section of Jerusalem. The five later said they were encouraged by the reception they received. MK Effie Eitam said, "On Election Day, our volunteers will arrive en-masse to vote, while the supporters of other parties will stay home. Why should someone who is voting for Kadima take the time and trouble to go vote? What will get Kadima voters out of their homes? Among our supporters, you won't find any stay-at-homes."
The leader of the joint Knesset list, MK Benny Elon, said, "Whoever plans to vote for Marzel is essentially voting for Kadima, because it's clear that he won't have the tens of thousands needed to pass the minimum threshold. Even if he gets 40,000, that won't be enough, and those will be wasted nationalist camps that, in essence, strengthen Kadima."
Herut is the list of candidates led by Michael Kleiner and Yehoshua Meiri, and Hazit is headed by Marzel and Yisrael Hanukoglu. Neither is expected to receive a sufficient amount of votes to enter the Knesset - though Kleiner has said that media predictions of this sort are "self-fulfilling prophecies."
Marzel and Meiri, long-time acquaintances, met on Purim at Meiri's yeshiva in Ramat Aviv, and discussed the possibility of joining forces in one constellation or another. The two lists cannot merge, as the final lists of Knesset candidates cannot be changed at this late date. However, one party can drop out of the race and throw its support for the other.
Meiri explained that it would make sense for Marzel's Hazit to drop out: "Our voters come from Kadima and the Likud, and they would never vote for Marzel under any circumstances. But Marzel has much influence with his supporters, and if he tells them to, most of them would vote for us."
Marzel, for his part, said today that no such possibility is in the offing: "We are running until the end, and we will not drop out," he told Arutz-7.
Kleiner and Marzel ran together on the Herut list in the last election, and received only just over 34,000 votes - some 10,000 short of the required minimum to enter the Knesset. Asked why they didn't run together this time, Marzel said it was because Kleiner had been considering running together with anti-Disengagement Likud MK Michael Ratzon, "with whom I have nothing in common."
Meanwhile, the Nation Union/NRP list picked up the endorsements of a large group of religious-Zionist rabbis, as well as the umbrella organization of Israel's physically handicapped. The latter organization, which represents some 20 different organizations, said they wished to thus recognize the work of MKs Zevulun Orlev and Sha'ul Yahalom on their behalf in the outgoing Knesset.
On the other hand, several religious-Zionist rabbis, mostly former supporters of the left-wing Meimad movement, which is running together with Labor, announced their support of Kadima.
Five MKs of the NRP/NU list visited a popular campaign locale today - the shuk, or outdoor market in the Machaneh Yehuda section of Jerusalem. The five later said they were encouraged by the reception they received. MK Effie Eitam said, "On Election Day, our volunteers will arrive en-masse to vote, while the supporters of other parties will stay home. Why should someone who is voting for Kadima take the time and trouble to go vote? What will get Kadima voters out of their homes? Among our supporters, you won't find any stay-at-homes."
The leader of the joint Knesset list, MK Benny Elon, said, "Whoever plans to vote for Marzel is essentially voting for Kadima, because it's clear that he won't have the tens of thousands needed to pass the minimum threshold. Even if he gets 40,000, that won't be enough, and those will be wasted nationalist camps that, in essence, strengthen Kadima."