Friday, January 04, 2019

A Letter to Zehut Members on the Voting Threshold

by Moshe Feiglin

Dear Friends,

At the beginning of this week, Channel 2 publicized a poll in which Bennett’s new party would get 6 mandates. A parallel poll in the Makor Rishon newspaper showed the same party getting 14 mandates.

How could that be?

Is it because of different polling methods? Is it because of the strong will of the Makor Rishon pollsters “to direct” the answers in a certain direction?

And perhaps it is a combination of both?

It is clear to us that the results of the poll (0.4% for Zehut) reported by Amit Segal on Wednesday night have no basis in reality. After all, a month ago a poll on the Walla news site gave us one mandate from amongst Russian speakers alone – and they make up 15% of the population.

And this morning, we are polling at 2 mandates in the Yisrael Hayom poll.

Since Zehut was established, we have been getting results, including the results of in-depth polls conducted by other parties, which gave us 7 plus mandates. In addition, we are all out there, we have a good sense of the momentum in the streets, we have a good sense of the momentum on the internet, and we understand that 0.4% simply makes no sense.

Just this week, radio host Yaakov Bardugo said that in the in-depth polls to which he is privy, the results are completely different than what is being publicized in the regular polls.

Similar to the disparity in the polls on Bennett’s party, the same is true of Zehut. We do not know if the unreasonable poll results are the product of an innocent mistake – in other words, a polling model that is irrelevant to our party’s parameters – or if, God forbid, it is intentionally planned by someone. Or if it is a combination of the two.

All that we know is that it doesn’t really matter.

Even if we would assume that our public support is currently at 0.4%, as Amit Segal claimed last night – even if we assume that only myself and my readers support Zehut - we will not give up hope and will remain loyal to Zehut. Is that a reason to surrender and leave the Nation of Israel without the only solution of substance (not a particular person, but of true substance) that exists today in politics? Without the only solution that can extricate Israel from the gridlock that it is in today?

Look to the Right and to the Left. On all sides, there is complete desolation, no answer to Israel’s security and economic problems, no message – no vision or purpose.

The State of Israel is ill. Will we prevent it from accessing its only chance to heal?

Dear friends,

We are not naïve. We understand that journalists and polls are players on the field and are part of the game.

Don’t let the headlines that will be forgotten tomorrow demoralize you today.

Zehut is preparing a surprising campaign and from our lowest opening point we will finish this campaign, with God’s help, with a huge surprise and great hope for the Nation of Israel.

With great appreciation for all of you.

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