The Russian immigrant Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home) party has set its sights on expanding into the Anglo sector. Headed by former Strategic Affairs Minister MK Avigdor Lieberman, the party, which just three years ago entered the Knesset for the first time as an independent entity, is seen as a strong contender to become the third largest party in the upcoming February 10 elections, according to the latest polls.
Having recently recruited former Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Danny Ayalon, who left his position as co-Chair of the North American aliyah organization Nefesh B'Nefesh to accept a spot on the party's Knesset list, Lieberman is now hoping to attract the burgeoning Anglo vote as well.
The party's website also now features by-and-large eloquently-written material in the English language as well as Hebrew and Russian, a relatively new development.
Party officials said Monday they plan to hold a recruitment event for English-speakers on Thursday in Jerusalem. Key party candidates Uzi Landau, Ayalon, MK David Rotem and Danny Hershtal are expected to address the gathering, which is scheduled to be held in the largely English-speaking hareidi neighborhood of Bayit Vegan.
According to a release disseminated to the media, the event is meant to "highlight Yisrael Beiteinu's interest in attracting the English-speaking community, by putting the spotlight on issues that are particularly attractive to those voters." It goes on to say that the party's chief goal is to "strengthen the Jewish identity of Israel with all Israelis sharing civic responsibilities, regardless of race or religious background. This means that all Israelis will either have to enlist in the army or conduct National Service."
Further down, the release emphasizes that Ayalon "recently served as co-Chair of Nefesh b'Nefesh" and "heads the Anglo division at Yisrael Beiteinu," which the party said "stands in stark contradiction to most other political parties which do not assign such a high-profile figure or any significant resources for the Anglo community campaign."
Given that at least one of the competing parties in the upcoming elections is headed by a man who is completely bilingual in English as well as Hebrew, this last claim appears slightly inaccurate.
It remains to be seen whether English speakers in the hareidi-religious community are willing to overlook the party's platform vis a vis its insistence on establishing a "Covenant of Commitment (civil marriage), which would be a balanced and efficient way to get married without undo [sic] complication."
The party also advocates "a softening of the Rabbinate's approach to prospective converts and a simplification of the conversion process ovrall [sic], within the bounds of halakha [Jewish law –ed.], of course."