Leaders of Israel's student unions, who are expected to hold elections later this week for the position of chairman and deputy chairman of the National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS), have claimed that the Yesh Atid party is interfering in the process, Israel Hayom reported.
Several of the leaders have said that Yesh Atid MKs recommended they vote for Shaked Benafshy, a former Yesh Atid activist who served until two weeks ago as Deputy Chairwoman of Yesh Atid's youth movement. Benafshy is running for the position of deputy chair of the National Union of Israeli Students.
NUIS prohibits all intervention from political sources in its elections process.
Yesh Atid MK Yorai Lahav Hertzanu has held meetings with several leaders of the student unions, in which they felt pressured to cooperate with him. During those recent meetings Lahav Hertzanu pressured the leaders to elect Benafshy as deputy leader of NUIS.
According to Israel Hayom, some sources in NUIS have said that they worry that if Benafshy is elected, the central body representing Israeli students will lose its right to protest the government. NUIS is the body which, over the years, has led protests against the cost of higher learning, the cost of living, and more.
In the upcoming elections, over 40 chairmen and chairwomen of student unions in universities and colleges will elect a chair and deputy chair for the NUIS. The race is between two pairs: Elchanan Felhaimer from Ono Academic College, and his would-be deputy Ido Bruchstein from Ruppin Academic Center; and Yarden Ben Zvi from Tel Aviv University and would-be deputy Shaked Benafshy of the Academic Center for Law and Science.
The chairman of one of the student unions told Israel Hayom: "It starts as a meeting to help the academic institution. They tell you that an MK wants to meet with you. And then very quickly the conversation turns to the NUIS elections, and you understand that that was the only reason why they chose to meet with you."
According to him, Lahav Hertzanu "mentioned the name of Shaked Benafshy. It was obvious that he is helping her run and very much aiding her. The conversation was one of 'who is with us and who is against us.' If you want budget support - you need to vote for the right camp. The party there is working so that Shaked and Yarden will be elected."
Recently, one of the student union chairs penned a letter to the elections committee, complaining that political bodies are pushing one of the candidates, who is backed by a large political force.