"Likud is making a mistake": Elkin points to the mandates that may decide the elections
Ahead of the Likud primaries, Minister Ze'ev Elkin highlights the importance of the struggle for the Russian-speaking vote. According to him, while Eisenkot and Bennett have established dedicated headquarters for Russian speakers, Likud has not done so: "In my view, this is a mistake - there was a need to establish a headquarters for Russian speakers."
Minister Ze'ev Elkin is running in the upcoming Likud party primaries, after having joined it from the New Hope party. In a conversation with "Israel Hayom," he speaks about the "Russian vote," in which he sees a growth potential of at least three new mandates that the various parties will compete for.
"Today there are at least 15 mandates of Russian speakers. The growth stems from immigration following the Russia-Ukraine war, with two waves of immigration embedded in this number. Both the official immigration that occurred during the four years of the war, and approximately slightly less than a mandate of immigrants who formally immigrated to Israel after 2014, when the clashes began. Ultimately, there are two Russian-speaking mandates that did not vote for anyone, and they are voting for the first time. This is a relatively large number. Everyone is interested in this group."
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You know how to bring these mandates?
"In various polls conducted in different parties over quite a few years, I, as a 'Russian' politician, come in second in popularity after Avigdor Lieberman. I have been active for many years among the Russian-speaking public. I was never ashamed of this identity. This is a point of strength and not a point of weakness, and although I am a completely Israeli politician, I held positions that are not characterized as positions given to immigrant MKs. I am a cabinet member, I was Minister of Housing, Coalition Chairman. Still, all these years I have been involved in immigration from the Soviet Union."
What drives these votes to vote?
"What influences their vote is first of all several issues: the figure of the leader, political-security issues. The Russian-speaking public, including the recent immigration wave, is right-wing in its political-security positions. And on the other hand, the issue of religion and state is important to them. They do not like the Haredim. Another thing that influences this public - they are sensitive to the treatment of them, condescending or something of a second-class nature. For example, at the time, when Olmert was appointed Prime Minister in 2006, he skipped over Marina Solodkin and did not appoint her as a minister, even though she was number six. She was not super popular, she was not Lieberman. He skipped over her, it was perceived as disrespect, and then Olmert collapsed among the Russian public and never recovered from it."
You know how to bring them to the primaries to support you?
"There is a Russian-speaking public among the registered members. It is less than its weight in the population, around ten thousand people. Quite a few of them are 'box' registered members. In practice, they do not come to vote, they were asked to register. There is a discourse that has started in recent weeks that Likud needs someone on this front, after the departure of Yuli Edelstein. Unfortunately, I remained the only candidate. I regret that Edelstein decided to leave."
Who would you bring instead of Yuli?
"It doesn't work like that."
Why not, after all, Netanyahu has eight reserved spots?
"At the time, we looked for voices that could speak to the Russian vote and we didn't really find any. When there was New Hope, it wasn't simple to find. I would be happy if the Prime Minister brings someone serious who speaks Russian. I think there is a need for reinforcement. I am the only one in a realistic spot, especially after the immigrant slot moved to 43rd place. It must be emphasized that all parties understand this. Eisenkot has a Russian headquarters, Bennett has a Russian-speaking headquarters. Likud, in my view, is making a mistake by insisting. There was a need to establish a headquarters for Russian speakers."
Regarding the rehabilitation of the North and South, Minister Ze'ev Elkin said: "In some media outlets, it is customary to blame the Likud government for not investing budgets in the periphery. This is a gross lie, and here are the facts: since I received responsibility for the rehabilitation of the North and South, I have led a series of government decisions under which a total of about 30 billion shekels were allocated for the rehabilitation, development, and growth of the areas affected by the war. My goal from the first day was not only to return the North and South to their state on the eve of the war, but to use the rehabilitation to build engines of growth in them for years to come. Our goal is to double the population of the Tkuma region in the south to 120,000 people and bring 100,000 new residents to the north. In addition, we led a government decision for the development of the Golan in the amount of one billion shekels, under which Katzrin is expected to become the first Israeli city in the Golan Heights. We established a new university in Kiryat Shmona, budgeted a dramatic upgrade of the hospital in Nahariya and the establishment of a high-tech park in the fields of medicine and biotech next to it, allocated 1.5 billion NIS for education, passed a decision on allocating plots for reservists for only 50,000 NIS in border settlements and dozens more dramatic decisions for the benefit of the region. This is the real victory over our enemies who tried to drive us away from here."
Final question: what will the Likud list look like?
"I am not prepared to predict. This is an unprecedented primary. 50% of the list members - incumbent ministers and MKs - will go home."
