Feiglin said that his decision not to run is contingent upon a ruling by Likud Elections Committee Chairman Judge Tzvi Cohen that the anti-Oslo crimes of which he was convicted do not bear a "badge of shame."
The party's Central Committee will vote today to accept a proposal to bar from Knesset candidacy anyone who was sentenced to at least three months in prison for a "shame-bearing" crime. This proposal, initiated by party leader Binyamin Netanyahu's as an anti-corruption gesture, was originally meant to be aimed at Feiglin.
Feiglin was sentenced in the past to six months in prison (but performed public service works instead) for having organized anti-Oslo activities against the Rabin government. However, the proposal's "shame" clause was inserted later, and would likely have enabled Feiglin to run.
"Why then did you quit?" Arutz-7 asked Feiglin.
"For reasons that had to do with what we felt would be better for our movement," he explained. "Freed of all sorts of political and factional obligations, I will be much better able to dedicate my time to building Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership). Don't forget, our goal is not necessarily to be in the Knesset, but to take leadership. We have come quite far - I received 12.5% of the vote for party leader, which is only 40-something-thousand votes less than Netanyahu received."
Feiglin explained to Arutz-7 that all talk of "heavy pressure" upon him by Netanyahu and other Likud elements was groundless. "I didn't succumb to pressure to quit during the race for party leader," he said, "so why would I give in this time?" He acknowledged that some senior party members had requested that he withdraw, and that these requests were taken into consideration.
Feiglin said that the #2 man in Manhigut Yehudit, Michael Fuah, would be running for Knesset. "He will be a better parliamentarian than I would be," Feiglin said. Asked to estimate Fuah's chances of being elected to a realistic spot on the list, Feiglin said, "About 50-50. But once again, don't forget our goal - leadership, not the Knesset."
Netanyahu and Feiglin did not meet directly to discuss the issues, Feiglin clarified.
He explained that he wished to be in the Knesset only as head of the Likud: "The sovereign body in this country is not the people, but rather the Supreme Court, which turns every government more to the left... I fear that if I become just a regular Knesset Member, I will undergo the same process that all the other right-wing and religious parties did, and become part of the problem, giving a democratic veil to 'enlightened Israeli dictatorship.'"
The party's Central Committee will vote today to accept a proposal to bar from Knesset candidacy anyone who was sentenced to at least three months in prison for a "shame-bearing" crime. This proposal, initiated by party leader Binyamin Netanyahu's as an anti-corruption gesture, was originally meant to be aimed at Feiglin.
Feiglin was sentenced in the past to six months in prison (but performed public service works instead) for having organized anti-Oslo activities against the Rabin government. However, the proposal's "shame" clause was inserted later, and would likely have enabled Feiglin to run.
"Why then did you quit?" Arutz-7 asked Feiglin.
"For reasons that had to do with what we felt would be better for our movement," he explained. "Freed of all sorts of political and factional obligations, I will be much better able to dedicate my time to building Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership). Don't forget, our goal is not necessarily to be in the Knesset, but to take leadership. We have come quite far - I received 12.5% of the vote for party leader, which is only 40-something-thousand votes less than Netanyahu received."
Feiglin explained to Arutz-7 that all talk of "heavy pressure" upon him by Netanyahu and other Likud elements was groundless. "I didn't succumb to pressure to quit during the race for party leader," he said, "so why would I give in this time?" He acknowledged that some senior party members had requested that he withdraw, and that these requests were taken into consideration.
Feiglin said that the #2 man in Manhigut Yehudit, Michael Fuah, would be running for Knesset. "He will be a better parliamentarian than I would be," Feiglin said. Asked to estimate Fuah's chances of being elected to a realistic spot on the list, Feiglin said, "About 50-50. But once again, don't forget our goal - leadership, not the Knesset."
Netanyahu and Feiglin did not meet directly to discuss the issues, Feiglin clarified.
He explained that he wished to be in the Knesset only as head of the Likud: "The sovereign body in this country is not the people, but rather the Supreme Court, which turns every government more to the left... I fear that if I become just a regular Knesset Member, I will undergo the same process that all the other right-wing and religious parties did, and become part of the problem, giving a democratic veil to 'enlightened Israeli dictatorship.'"