Eli Yishai's Yahad party is preparing for the upcoming elections by taking an approach unheard of for Haredi parties: a first-of-its-kind census geared towards the ultra-Orthodox public and others commenced Sunday, as part of which party members will determine the party's Knesset list.

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The sort-of primary process marks the first time a religious party's list was not decided on by a Torah Sages Council. The party—which did not garner enough votes in the last elections to enter the Knesset—aimed at creating stronger links between party members and the party's candidates.

Yishai's party will allow members to select their representatives, a first for a Haredi party (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Former Shas leader MK Yishai's party registration website allows selection and grading of its Knesset candidate list, as well as members up for election in municipalities. The app is meant to serve both as a means of selection, but also a means of communication between the elected officials and their constituents.

Party members will thus be able to send direct inquiries to their Knesset and local council representatives, for example, and then record their satisfaction with the reply or assistance they received.

When the time comes to construct the party's next Knesset candidate list, the people behind the move claimed, the public's satisfaction ratings will carry considerable weight when determining continuing the terms of representatives as well as their promotion.

In addition, party members will be polled on bills, their efficacy and their necessity, which will also affect the rating—and future prospects—of the parliamentarians.





Yishai's party failed to enter the Knesset in the 2015 elections (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

The party registration process, Yahad said, was unique in the fact it was completely internet-based and was in fact propelled forward by sharing: each party member will be given the chance, once they've completed their own registration, to share the initiative and disseminate it among their friends and contacts using a link.

The movement added it had set a goal of each new registered member bringing in three others. Membership dues have been set similarly to those of other primary-holding parties, with an annual payment of NIS 72 for a couple and NIS 52 for one person.

Following a dispute with Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri (R), Yishai broke off to create his own party (Photo: EPA)

"This also marks a precedent in listening and taking into account the opinions of each and every citizen on legislative matters that pertain to all us. This is why we've harnessed this cutting-edge technology, for the very first time in politics, to achieve the maximal amount of work carried out on behalf of even those citizens who aren't well-connected," Yishai boasted.