"From the afternoon, I have heard from the press that I will announce here that I am quitting," Feiglin said. "I am sorry to disappoint whoever expected that I am but I am not quitting," Feiglin said.
The Tel Aviv event was a full house with a mixture of veteran campaigners – convinced that this time Zehut would pass the electoral threshold – and people who had come out of interest, to learn more about the party. As expected, the audience was a mix of clearly religious and obviously secular, with an age range from teens to pensioners.
“Only this party could you have a room full of immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, ultra-Orthodox, religious and secular working for the same goal,” said one campaign activist.
Although Feiglin has become associated by the general public with his stand on legalization of cannabis, the party conference drew interest for its liberal, anti-regulation economic platform such as banning solidarity strikes and being able to sue workers unions.
Economist Gilad Alper, who is number 2 on the list and the man who drew up Zehut’s economic platform, drew enthusiastic support when he presented his ideas.
When the party’s number 3, Dr. Ronit Dror, espoused her views on the importance and rights of families without state interference, chants of “Family! Family!” rang out.
Russian-speaker Arkady Muter, number 4 on the list, addressed both the needs to help immigrants in Israel and strengthen Jewish identity in the Diaspora.