Who ‘Assassinated’ Feiglin in Likud Primaries?
By Orli Harari, Ari Yashar, INN First Publish: 1/2/2015, 12:10 PM
Likud MK Moshe Feiglin was given an unrealistic spot to get into the next Knesset in Likud primaries tallied on Thursday, but according to reports on Friday that wasn’t mere chance – he was the target of an orchestrated “political assassination” from within the party.
According to Yedioth Aharonoth, the main hand behind Feiglin’s primaries failure was none other than Haim Bibas, director of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s elections headquarters, mayor of Modi’in and director of the regional authority of the city.
Bibas held a campaign to convince Likud activists in Judea and Samaria not to support Feiglin, according to the paper.
“We wiped him out below the radar,” a senior Likud source was quoted as saying.
“It took Likudniks time to understand that he causes us damage. This is Netanyahu’s greatest success in these primaries.”
Another opponent of Feiglin who acted for his downfall according to the report is his neighbor in Karnei Shomron in Samaria, Asi Levi, who is a member of the Karnei Shomron Regional Council.
“All these years we helped Feiglin succeed, but he had delusions of grandeur. I came to the conclusion that he isn’t a Likudnik…,” Levi was quoted as saying. He then admitted- “we did a ‘targeted killing’ on Feiglin.”
The accusations that Feiglin acted against Likud may reference the criticism Feiglin frequently leveled at his party for taking actions against its nationalist and Zionist platform.
For example, in December 2013 Feiglin attacked Likud and Jewish Home saying “the right has disappeared,” after he was the only MK from traditionally “right-wing” parties to appear at a vote on a bill that would require 80 MKs to agree to any division of Jerusalem.
Later that same month he again sharply criticized Likud and Jewish Home for supporting the passage of a law giving same-sex couples a tax break as if they were a married couple.
The talk of a “targeted killing” of Feiglin comes after his aide, Michael Pu’ah, accused Netanyahu of intentionally forcing Feiglin into an unrealistic spot on the list, and accused him of tampering with the vote.
Report: Netanyahu Campaign Manager Worked to Push Feiglin Off List
The man who worked behind the scenes to push Moshe Feiglin off the Likud list was named this morning (Friday) in a report from Yediot Aharonot as being none other than- Haim Bibas, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s campaign manager.
Feiglin Aide: PM ‘Stole’ Likud Primary Results
By Moshe Cohen, INN First Publish: 1/1/2015, 1:38 PM
Michael Pu’ah, a close confidante of Moshe Feiglin and a member of the Likud Elections Committee, railed against the election process in the Likud, after it emerged that Feiglin would not achieve a “realistic” position – among the top 20 – on the Likud list.
Pu’ah attributed Feiglin’s exclusion from the list to the direct intervention of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who, he told Arutz Sheva, has long been looking for ways to “dump” Feiglin.
“Instead of a ‘celebration of democracy,’ as Netanyahu is portraying it, this was a farce of democracy,” said Pu’ah. “I walked out of the vote counting in the middle of the night, after it emerged that Netanyahu had ‘fired’ observers from the vote count process,” with no one supervising the voting process.
As a result, “there is no connection between the truth and the results of the primary. We will probably never know the truth, but I do not believe the results they are telling us,” said Pu’ah.
According to Pu’ah, Netanyahu justified removing the observers to Judge Menachem Ne’eman by saying that it was unfair for observers from some factions – like Pu’ah and Feiglin’s Manhigut Yehudit – to be present at the vote counting when observers from others were absent.
“Netanyahu called up the judge in the middle of the night and twisted his arm to agree to this, in violation of all the promises he made to me and others.
“Anyone who acts in this manner has made it clear that he is not interested in accurate results,” said Pu’ah. “By the time we got a chance to make our case heard, it was too late. Who knows what went on for the two hours when there were no observers in the counting process?”
Pu’ah did not say if he would challenge the results of the vote, or take other action to invalidate the results.
Writing on his Facebook page Thursday, Feiglin said that he “owed a great deal of thanks to the many supporters, donors, and volunteers who joined with me, in a spirit of true self-sacrifice, to advance the ideas that we are promoting.
“I embrace you all, and I promise you that despite the dark shadow on the proper procedure of these elections – and whatever the final results – we will not stop fighting for our principles, and continue out loyal service to the nation of Israel,” he added.
@ drjb:
@ drjb:
Mainly because he is no longer a political asset. Not sure if he has many followers and those he had will most vote for Bennett. He can bring with him a million and a quarter shekels as a still standing MK but he will demand a price and I don’t think he will get it. Livni still had a constituency4-6 mandates according to polls and a lot of cash.
I never disliked Feiglin but you know why I didn’t hop on his wagon…..Enough is enough. I think he was gaming us because he never did a damn thing to elevate himself politically and as you said he ain’t stupid and I don’t believe after all this time he is so naive. He never even tried to win over the rank and file of the traditional Likud voters. He attempted an outside putsch which alienated him from too many power brokers in the Party…..
Even if he had succeeded most of the rank and file would not have stayed with him and have left the party a shell with few mandates and a mammoth debt.
Sorry Doc!!!
@ yamit82:
Hi Yamit,
you were right all along!!!!
Feiglin is history, he’s done in politics.
For years he stubbornly insisted that it was only in the Likud that leadership of Israel was crafted, that only Likud was “the playing field” of Israeli politics, that only Likud was a national party and that all other parties are sectorial and therefore not representative of the nation.
Well now that he has been vomited right out of the Likud, what is he going to do??
– form another party where he will likely not even make the threshold
– join another party?? who would want him?? maybe Otzma, maybe Khalon?? I don’t see Bennett inviting him over, although it would be the most logical party for him, since he has criticized them in the past and hasn’t been a good team player.
He seems to have painted himself into a corner from which he won’t be able to come out. He has lost his credibility and he’s probably done.
A bright guy, with lots of good ideas, and a good Jewish compass, laid to waste by the political process and his ineptitude staying within Likud all these years in spite of many voices begging him to move out.
Bennett seems to be hitting all the right notes on his own, is very likable, and is accomplishing everything Feiglin had dreamed of in a fraction of the time.So why should Bennett throw him a life line???
As disappointed as I am about his demise, I maintain a glimmer of hope. If Tzipi Livni can stay relevant while rolling from one political bed to another, why can’t Feiglin????
@ yamit82:
But I am concerned. In the absence of a prior condition of declared war, a return to a USA conscript army would be a CATASTROPHE for the American people and a betrayal of the Constitution.
Still, I wondered how long it would take to bring you out from under your rock. You showed up right on schedule.
My “cowardly ass” faced the concentrated might of the American state at a time when you were still playing with tinker toys.
I seriously doubt that YOUR oh-so-courageous keister could have handled federal prison for an hour-& a-half — let alone, a year-&-a-half.
But then, what would I know. . . .
YOU may be too old, but I’m not. I’m in excellent condition (for a man of ANY age). Nor am I eunuch; not by any stretch of the imagination (even an imagination as overamped as yours).
My nose smells projection, and it’s clearly coming from you.
@ yamit82:
Yeah? — then suppose you FAMILIARIZE me with them. You could begin by defining them for “cowards like me.” (Can’t wait; this should be good.)
Bear Klein Said:
There is a severe manpower shortage that can only be closed by the draft.
I’m getting nostalgic. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeQ2gQHOZRE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzyPtgcJvko
In the USA the military is being sent to fight in places a conscript army would not. The military is being used like toy soliders who can be sent to be anywhere and anytime because they are voluntary only.
The amount of tours some of these soldiers do is literally destroying them and the military.
dweller Said:
‘Duty Honor Country’ are strange concepts to cowards like you.
dweller Said:
I wouldn’t concern yourself, your cowardly ass is still secure and safe. You’re too old and as an eunuch you have no progeny to worry about. Of course your patriotism ends at the tip of your Pinocchio nose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2O-aS3jYxQ
@ yamit82:
Nonsense.
Conscript army would be every bit as dangerous for the States
— as a Volunteer army would be dangerous for Israel.
Bear Klein Said:
Terrible and stupid idea. It is for the States too.
@ watsa46:
Too late he has lost all political capital and leverage. He is an egomaniac who was brought down to earth due mostly to his ow hubris. 17 years of plodding and not making any real headway. Those Likud loyalists were on to him from the beginning and where waiting for the opportunity to be rid of him. They got it because Feiglin was unprepared and did nothing to defend his position in the Likud. Seems as if his support base has had enough and thrown him under the bus in favor of Bennett who seems to have understood the real political game unlike Feiglin. Bennett did exactly what Feiglin was trying to do all these years in the Likud. Bennett successfully took over the Jewish home (mafdal)in less than two years as opposed to feiglins failed attempt to do same with the much larger Likud. If Feiglin was not so ambitious and egotistical he might have done what Bennett has, years ago? Maybe the Likud party hacks screwed him and maybe they didn’t but he should have seen it coming and deflected their efforts. He didn’t he lost bye bye!!!! He is now eligible for a lifetime knesset pension, so he made out OK.
Israel will have to wait for Islam reformation to see relations getting on the right track! There is along way to go.
He can always try to join the Bennett’s party.
@ yamit82:
He has some interesting ideas. For me he appears someone who is unable to connect the theoretical with the real world in a way that works.
Like his idea for a voluntary army. Sounds great in theory but in the real world in Israel he is risking its fabric, core and security to make things more palatable for the Haredi who do not wish to serve like others.
@ Bear Klein:
Last election he made a deal with Katz from IA and they swung enough bundled votes to gert him a safe spot.
This time no deals and i think a lot of supporters have given up on him. For a smart guy he is pretty dumb.
He has been outmaneuvered and outclassed by the professionals. One would think after 16-17 years of trying he might have learned something???
Feel sorry for his supporters.
There was an election the Likud members who voted did not think much of Feiglin based on the results. The rest is whining.
What these political machinations tell me is that Netanyahu and his allies are masterful politicians, and that Feiglin and his allies are fools.
The power always goes to the person or the party that is not afraid to grasp it, hold on to it, and wield it. That rule is true irrespective of the country’s system as a democracy, autocracy, or dictatorship.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI