Ayelet Shaked asks Jewish Home MKs to ‘give Eli Ohana a chance’

Ricochets from the appointment of Eli Ohana to a slot on the Jewish Home top ten:

Having come under fire for reserving a slot for former soccer star Ohana in the top ten, several of the party’s highest officials decide to convene an emergency meeting in Jerusalem, Ynet reports.

MK Zevulun Kalfa already said he will not run again; sources closer to Rabbi Avichai Rontzky said he is considering to pull out.

“This appointment [of Ohana] caused a great rift within Religious Zionism,” say sources close to Rontzky.

Also on Tuesday, a Whatsapp message apparently coming from Ayelet Shaked’s phone pleads with party members to give Ohana a chance:

“Friends listen, I, as you know, didn’t think we need another reserved slot, but in this forum let’s admit to the truth. I am the only non-religious person in the party. There’s just me. And Naftali [Bennett] wanted to add a traditional Sephardic type who grew up in the slums, but made it.

“I never spoke to him but I was told he’s intelligent. All MKs [of Jewish home] are religious and most of them are Ashkenazi. Let’s keep open-minded for a few hours and hear what he [Ohana] and Naftali have to say. I checked now and he has taken back his stance on the Disengagement [Ohana supported the Disengagement at the time].

“He’s right wing and wants to deal with social matters. Let’s give him a chance.”