When Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Hagit Moshe was elected leader of Habayit Hayehudi, she became the first woman to lead the national-religious party. And although polls currently predict Habayit Hayehudi will not cross the electoral threshold, a bloody battle is already being waged over its future, as it may even determine the next government's very character, as whoever the party joins or endorses is likely to receive coveted mandates that could make a great difference in the balance of power in the future coalition.
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Some party members, she told Israel Hayom, "spoke about the possibility of joining [Yamina leader Naftali] Bennett, because he is headed for the [role of] prime minister, as opposed to Habayit Hayehudi, which is a sectorial party.
"I appreciate him; he is talented. But he took advantage of Habayit Hayehudi and then threw us away," Mosha said, referring to Bennet's split from the national-religious faction in 2018, along with then-Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked to form the New Right, ratteling Habayit Hayehudi's voter base to its core in the process.
As for the possibility of partnering with Betzalel Smotrich, the hawkish leader of the Religious Zionist Party or with the far-Right Otzma Yehudit party, Moshe did not rule it out but was wary of the move.
Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben-Gvir's "approach is different than mine. All that beliigernace – it's simply not my style or my language. But I'm not rulling it out. There are many bitter pills to swallow" during an elections campaing, she noted.
Moshe spoke in support of the so-called French Law that would prevent a prime minister from being indicted while in office, but was unfazed by projection that her victory in the party parimeries could help Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu form a 61-seat coalition.
"I do this because Habayit Hayehudi is important to me. The fact that it also happens to suit Netanyahu's aspirations is alright. I am not pro-Likud or pro-Netanyahu."
"If [New Hope leader] Gideon Sa'ar joins [Opposition and Yesh Atid leader Yair] Lapid, we will not join him. And if Bennett joins Lapid, we will not go with Bennett."
For Moshe, "Yair Lapid is out of the question, and so is the Joint Arab List."
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