Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Hagit Moshe to head Bayit Yehudi

First woman ever to head a religious party * Smotrich invited her to discuss having their parties run together in the elections.

By GIL HOFFMAN
DEPUTY MAYOR Hagit Moshe worked in Jerusalem’s education administration for years before entering politics (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
DEPUTY MAYOR Hagit Moshe worked in Jerusalem’s education administration for years before entering politics
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Jerusalem Deputy Mayor Hagit Moshe will be the first woman to head an Orthodox party in Israel after she won Tuesday’s leadership primary in the Bayit Yehudi Party.
Moshe defeated Yamina leader Naftali Bennett's confidant Nir Orbach in a race held in the 960-member Bayit Yehudi central committee.
She will replace Jerusalem Affairs and Heritage Minister Rafi Peretz, who is quitting politics.
Bayit Yehudi does not cross the threshold on its own in any poll. But the race was seen as a bellwether on the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who interfered in the primary on behalf of Moshe.
She is expected to pursue a bond with the Religious Zionist Party (formerly the National Union), whose leader, MK Bezalel Smotrich, decided against running with Yamina at Netanyahu’s request. The prime minister hoped parties led by Smotrich and Moshe would cross the 3.25% electoral threshold if they ran together and would join a coalition he would build.
Smotrich congraulated Moshe, and invied her to meet on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of their two parties running together on a joint list in the next election.
"I am convinced that together, we will bring immense enthusiasm to the Religious Zionist Party and Israel's ideological Right," he said in a statement.
Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion congratulated his deputy mayor on her victory.
"Hagit has worked and continues to work for the benefit of Jerusalem and its residents," Lion said in a statement, adding that he wishes her "good luck in her new role." 
Orbach was director-general of Bayit Yehudi, and had he won, he was expected to be given a realistic slot on the Yamina list. When he cast his ballot on Tuesday, Orbach said he would like to see Yamina, Bayit Yehudi and Smotrich’s party run together.
“This is a holiday for religious Zionists,” Orbach said.
The Likud has twice as much support as the New Hope Party of Gideon Sa’ar, 30 seats to 15, an N12 poll found Tuesday night. The gap between the parties was only 6 seats on December 15. Yesh Atid was predicted to win 14 seats in the poll and Yamina 13.
Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.


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