Landau denied media reports of tension between him and Likud leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu over Netanyahu’s bid to change the Likud constitution prohibiting persons convicted of any crime from running on the party’s list for the Knesset.
Landau said that the wording of the constitutional amendment agreed upon last Friday “was acceptable to me and to the head of the party.” Landau was previously on record as opposing a move to lock Feiglin out of running for Knesset.
Moshe Feiglin was convicted of sedition when as head of the This is Our Land (Zo Artzeinu) movement in the mid-1990’s he was arrested protesting the implementation of the Oslo accords. Today, Feiglin heads “Jewish Leadership” (Manhigut Yehudit), a nationalist faction within the Likud.
Netanyahu, claims that the proposed amendment is generally geared towards cleaning criminal elements out of the party. He also believes that distancing Feiglin and moving the party closer to the center will garner the Likud more votes in the upcoming elections.
His explanation for the amendment, “to take corruption and radicalization out of the Likud,” has been disparaged by the party’s more nationalist leaning members, aside from those in Feiglin’s group.
Likud MK Ehud Yatom, for example, has been critical of moves to block Feiglin’s candidacy.
Feiglin supporters view Netanyahu’s move as an effort to encourage Feiglin and his Jewish Leadership faction to ultimately leave the party. Feiglin contends that he established his group to restore the Likud to its core values of strengthening Israel’s Jewish identity and building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Many party stalwarts, however, view Feiglin as an outsider whose presence in the party diminishes its popular support.
A meeting of the Likud’s central committee that was scheduled to decide today on Netanyahu’s proposal, and on whether to affirm his decision to grant Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom the number two slot on the Likud list, will take place tomorrow in Tel Aviv’s Exhibition Grounds.
While making Shalom number two on this list is expected to pass without opposition, the proposal to amend the constitution and keep Feiglin at bay is likely to encounter a stormy reception.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Netanyahu will initially propose moving ahead by one week (to no earlier than January 8, 2006) the date on which the central committee determines the composition of the Likud’s Knesset list. Prior to that date, Netanyahu will ask the committee to approve his constitutional amendment.
According to latest reports, the central committee will be asked to require all Likud ministers to resign from the government immediately. Moreover, the the Likud Knesset list is expected to be finalized by the central committee on January 12.
Landau said that the wording of the constitutional amendment agreed upon last Friday “was acceptable to me and to the head of the party.” Landau was previously on record as opposing a move to lock Feiglin out of running for Knesset.
Moshe Feiglin was convicted of sedition when as head of the This is Our Land (Zo Artzeinu) movement in the mid-1990’s he was arrested protesting the implementation of the Oslo accords. Today, Feiglin heads “Jewish Leadership” (Manhigut Yehudit), a nationalist faction within the Likud.
Netanyahu, claims that the proposed amendment is generally geared towards cleaning criminal elements out of the party. He also believes that distancing Feiglin and moving the party closer to the center will garner the Likud more votes in the upcoming elections.
His explanation for the amendment, “to take corruption and radicalization out of the Likud,” has been disparaged by the party’s more nationalist leaning members, aside from those in Feiglin’s group.
Likud MK Ehud Yatom, for example, has been critical of moves to block Feiglin’s candidacy.
Feiglin supporters view Netanyahu’s move as an effort to encourage Feiglin and his Jewish Leadership faction to ultimately leave the party. Feiglin contends that he established his group to restore the Likud to its core values of strengthening Israel’s Jewish identity and building Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
Many party stalwarts, however, view Feiglin as an outsider whose presence in the party diminishes its popular support.
A meeting of the Likud’s central committee that was scheduled to decide today on Netanyahu’s proposal, and on whether to affirm his decision to grant Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom the number two slot on the Likud list, will take place tomorrow in Tel Aviv’s Exhibition Grounds.
While making Shalom number two on this list is expected to pass without opposition, the proposal to amend the constitution and keep Feiglin at bay is likely to encounter a stormy reception.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Netanyahu will initially propose moving ahead by one week (to no earlier than January 8, 2006) the date on which the central committee determines the composition of the Likud’s Knesset list. Prior to that date, Netanyahu will ask the committee to approve his constitutional amendment.
According to latest reports, the central committee will be asked to require all Likud ministers to resign from the government immediately. Moreover, the the Likud Knesset list is expected to be finalized by the central committee on January 12.