Bitan: "If we don't have the Haredim in the bloc - we will lose power"

Since entering the Knesset in 2015, after serving as Deputy Mayor of Rishon LeZion and Chairman of the Likud branch in the city, David Bitan has built his status as a unique player in the political arena. He is known for being direct and sharp, sometimes harsh, but has earned exceptional appreciation even on the opposition benches as a fair, business-like coalition chairman with a sharp sense of humor.

Primaries are this coming Monday. Will we see David Bitan as a Likud MK in the next Knesset?

"Certainly. I ran on the national list of Likud and was elected, I also ran in the districts and was elected, and I believe I will be elected this time as well."

Why did Haim Katz and Israel Katz receive a reserved spot, and Bitan is fighting in the trenches?

"I don't need a reserved spot. I am in favor of primaries. Even if Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to reserve a spot for me, I would not have agreed. This is not a refreshing of the list or new faces."

You say there are no new faces, but Netanyahu reserved a spot for Oren Dubronsky.

"With all due respect, his father is the head of the organizing committee of Yisrael Beiteinu, he does not live in the country. I don't understand what is going on here."

Who would you like to see reserved?

"There are people that Netanyahu can reserve, at least try to reserve them. There are people that if he had brought them, he could have lifted the list. I think he should give up the rest of his reserved spots. The very fact that he came and reserved spots in the dead of night caused a mess in Likud and people are not happy. If he wants the party to be united ahead of the elections, he should give up the rest of his reserved spots."

Team player, with opinions

Even before the primaries, the drama reached its peak at the Likud conference, where Bitan waged a stubborn and frontal battle against Benjamin Netanyahu and Haim Katz. Bitan strongly opposed the "districts clause" - a mechanism that allows serving ministers and MKs to run in regional slots intended for new candidates. Although he lost in the initial vote by a narrow margin, the Likud court overturned the decision and granted Bitan a dramatic legal victory. However, beyond the protocol, there were those in Likud who saw his firm stance not only as a procedural matter, but as an open challenge to the leader.

What is the price you are paying for going against Netanyahu's position in the primaries?

"I am not against Netanyahu - I am for Likud. I supported Netanyahu in Likud from the moment he arrived from the UN. There are things that are important to me, I grew up in Likud. Look at the parties in Israel: all the parties where the chairman appoints the list - excluding Yisrael Beiteinu - are being erased. Even Yesh Atid is on the way to being erased. I am in favor of democracy in Likud.

"People want to see other positions, today there are people in the soft Right who are debating whether to vote for Likud. People like me bring them to Likud, I bring these votes, and therefore my positions are also important."

Social record

As Chairman of the Economic Committee in the outgoing Knesset, Bitan prides himself primarily on the social record he built during the committee's discussions. Notable achievements include the law granting free travel on public transport to citizens over the age of 67, a critical amendment to the credit data law that erases a negative rating after a year, and the significant discount he achieved for residents of the North on travel on the northern section of Highway 6.

In the last term, you are a slightly different MK in the Likud landscape. Your statements are less harsh. Have you changed or has Likud changed direction?

"My criticism was legitimate and substantive and it came from the beginning of the term regarding the formulation of the coalition agreement which essentially gave the other parties a larger share both in positions and in the budgets they received. For example, the composition of the committee for the appointment of Dayanim (religious judges) is one-third for Shas, one-third for Religious Zionism, and one-third for United Torah Judaism. Likud received nothing. In the end, everything went in the direction of the coalition parties. This is legitimate criticism because I have to take care of Likud and the party's voters. I never voted against the faction's positions."

Conscription only by consent

We haven't heard anything from you on the issue of Haredi conscription.

"The problem was that they made a mistake here. The conscription law should have been done at the beginning of the term, and then we would have known if the law really conscripts Haredim. It is impossible to do it from zero to a hundred all at once."

The Right is angry at you on the issue of Haredi conscription.

"If you are a right-wing person, the issue of conscription is very important to you, but there are other things that are important to the Right. If the Haredim do not remain in our bloc, it means that we have no alternative - the entire center-left is not willing to go with Netanyahu. If we don't have the Haredim in the bloc, the Right will lose power. You have to see the whole picture."

I ask if there are MKs whose behavior embarrasses you.

"I don't have to be embarrassed. Everyone has their own position. If a person who was elected does not function properly - the registered members will replace him. In politics, every position is temporary - a person who does not understand this is not worthy of continuing his public service."