Ha'am Itanu Chairman Eli Yishai strongly recommends Binyamin Netanyahu for the next prime minister, he stated in a Channel 10 interview Saturday.
"I will recommend to the President immediately after the election to impose on Netanyahu to form the next government," Yishai said on an interview program.
He added that despite some polls suggesting that his party will barely pass the Knesset threshold, he has hopes Ha'am Itanu will prevail - and become stronger over time, making a bigger comeback during the 21st Knesset elections, whenever they may be.
"We are ready, and with G-d's help, we can become stronger," Yishai said. "I am going to make [our party] a home for everyone - traditional, religious, and secular Jews."
"Regarding women - what the Rabbis tell us, that is what will happen," he added, referring to reports that he has made the controversial decision to ban female MKs, a la the mainstream hareidi parties.
Yishai's staunch support for Netanyahu follows reports that the Prime Minister has wholeheartedly embraced the breakaway party, and has allied himself with Ha'am Itanu to weaken the left-leaning Shas - even at the expense of Likud seats.
According to the report, Netanyahu has a keen desire for Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri's power to be weakened, as Deri has firmly placed himself in the leftist camp and has indicated he supports Labor chairperson Yitzhak Herzog for prime minister, signifying he would join a coalition with him.
Deri's Shas is seen as the only hareidi party that would make such a move to join with Herzog, meaning there is a tactical interest for Netanyahu that Deri not be strong enough to heavily impact the formation of coalitions.