The final deadline for submitting party lists of Knesset candidates for the upcoming elections is only four days away, and the picture in the nationalist camp is still unclear.
Rabbi Dov Wolpe and Baruch Marzel, who have merged their respective parties into one list called "Our Land of Israel," have invited MK Aryeh Eldad to join them. Eldad, leader of the HaTikvah party, is currently running together with Moledet; he did not join the newly-formed Jewish Home party, explaining that he felt his secular views would not receive fair representation there.Despite this, and because they fear further fragmentation in the nationalist camp, Marzel and Rabbi Wolpe have invited Eldad to join them.
"We must establish a technical bloc [as opposed to a united party - ed.] that will bring an 'orange bang' to Israeli politics," Wolpe and Marzel write in their call to Eldad. Orange has been the unofficial color of the nationalist camp ever since the days of the anti-Disengagement protests.
Marzel and Wolpe, as well as Eldad, have been attacking the Jewish Home via ads and public statements over the past 2-3 weeks. "It is no secret," Wolpe and Marzel state, "that the situation of those loyal to the Land of Israel is a difficult one. The Jewish Home is led by Rabbi Prof. Hershkovitz and Zevulun Orlev, who have promised 'freedom of choice' to their MKs in Land of Israel matters, and essentially admit that theirs is not a right-wing party."
"On the other hand," the letter continues, "another alternative appears to be Israel Our Home, led by Avigdor Lieberman - but he supports giving away neighborhoods of Jerusalem and supports an agreement with concessions to the terrorist authority."
"There is no room here for issues of honor," the Our Land of Israel leaders say. "Recent polls have shown that if we run together, we will have great success in the coming elections, and we will be able to field a suitable alternative to all those who are loyal to the Land and People of Israel. At this fateful hour, let us rise above all other considerations, and let us run together for the benefit of the Land and Nation of Israel."
HaTikvah - 3 Seats
Eldad's hand has been strengthened by a Channel Two poll that shows, for the first time, HaTikvah - Eldad's party - passing the minimum percentage and receiving three seats. This is a clear warning sign for the Jewish Home. Another significant result of the poll shows, for the first time in memory, the Likud trailing Kadima, 29 seats to 30.
Further muddling the nationalist picture is the Uri Ariel question. It is still not clear whether Ariel - #3 on the Jewish Home list - and his fellow MKs in the right-wing end of the former National Union will break away from the Jewish Home, or will remain. The Jewish Home list is considered very moderate, with at least four of the top six members sporting NRP-type views. Two or three of the next four are more of the National Union type, but they are far from guaranteed to make it into the Knesset.
In addition, it is unclear whether Ariel - if he in facts leaves the Jewish Home - will join up with Marzel-Wolpe-and-maybe-Eldad, or will re-establish his National Union party. It seems likely, however, that such extreme fragmentation in the nationalist camp will not be tolerated by the public, and that he will either run with Eldad and/or Wolpe-Marzel, or will remain in the Jewish Home.