Bitan: 'If We Don't Have the Haredim in the Bloc, We'll Lose Power'

MK David Bitan, in an interview ahead of the Likud primaries, says he would not have agreed to a reserved slot even if Netanyahu had offered. He criticizes the reserved slots made 'in the dead of night', calls on Netanyahu to give up the remaining ones, and warns that if the Haredim don't stay in the bloc, the right will lose power. Bitan defends his social record and denies that his indictment influences his positions.

In a wide-ranging interview with Israel Hayom, MK David Bitan discusses the upcoming Likud primaries, reserved slots, the drafting of Haredim, and his relationship with Netanyahu. Bitan, who has been elected in the past both on the national list and in districts, says he believes he will be elected again and clarifies that he would not have agreed to a reserved slot even if Netanyahu had offered. He criticizes the recent reserved slots, including that of Oren Dobronsky, and calls on Netanyahu to give up the remaining reserved slots to maintain party unity. Bitan describes himself as a team player with opinions and emphasizes that he has supported Netanyahu since he came from the UN, but there are things that matter to him. On the issue of drafting Haredim, he says the law should have been enacted at the beginning of the term, not 'from zero to one hundred in one go', and warns that if the Haredim do not stay in the bloc, the right will lose power. He also defends his social record, including the free travel law for citizens over 67, and denies that his indictment influences his positions, calling it a 'spin'.