Aryeh Deri
Photo: Avihu Shapira
Min. Deri livid over PM move to lower election threshold
'Netanyahu stabbed me in the back,' Interior Min. Aryeh Deri allegedly tells confidants, after hearing that PM Benjamin Netanyahu wants to lower the election threshold to allow the party of Deri's rival's, Eli Yishai, to enter the Knesset and throw its support behind Netanyahu; those close to PM assure 'there won't be any changes to election threshold without Sha's approval.'
Interior Minister and Shas leader Aryeh Deri was reportedly furious upon hearing Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leading an initiative that aims to lower the election threshold, telling his confidants that "Netanyahu stabbed me in the back."
Channel 2 News reported that Netanyahu is championing lowering the election threshold from four to two percent—this despite the fact that it was Netanyahu's own government that led raising the threshold to four percent just three years ago.
A senior political official stated that the reason for Netanyahu's dramatic change in position is a poll published over the weekend, which stated that theoretically, if the Zionist Union joins forces with the Arab parties in the Joint List, they would reach 59 mandates, making them about two mandates away from cinching a majority that would block Netanyahu's path to the premiership.
Deri (L) and Netanyahu (Photos: Ohad Zwigenberg, AFP)
Lowering the election threshold would help Netanyahu salvage thousands of right-wing ballots cast in favor of former Shas head and current Yachad leader Eli Yishai, an old rival of Deri's. The move could therefore be of great help to Netanyahu, at the price of splitting Sephardi-Haredi interests between Deri and his old-time foe, Yishai.
That said, another official claimed that the entire move is "just another spin" led by Netanyahu.
It was current Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberan who had spearheaded raising the voting threshold back in 2014. Lieberman's goal was to prevent Arab citizen votes from finding representation through the four, separate Arab parties—Balad, Ra'am, Ta'al and Hadash. The plan, however, backfired, as the four parties responded by joining forces for the 2015 elections and becoming the Knesset's third-largest faction, after the Likud and the Zionist Union.
Yishai (L) and Deri (Photo: EPA)
Following news that Netanyahu is angling to lower the election threshold, Deri reportedly told his confidants that "Shas will grow stronger during the next elections and doesn't need any favors from Netanyahu. Netanyahu enjoys Shas's support, and in response initiates move against Shas without consulting us.
"I've told (Coalition Chairperson David Bitan—ed) and I'm telling Netanyahu: lowering the election threshold will not pass, so don't even try it."
Those close to Netanyahu responded to those close to Deri by saying that "it's merely a theoretical idea with no practical expression. Obviously, there won't be any changes to the election threshold without the Likud's partners in the coalition, and this first and foremost means Shas."
