Haredi Women’s College founder Adina Bar-Shalom endorsed Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu Party on Thursday, giving a boost to the party which has been teetering on the electoral threshold thus far.
Bar-Shalom’s support had been sought by many parties. She tried to run as the head of the new Achi Yisraeli Party, but ended up deciding to sit the race out.
“This is only support for this election and not a political merger,” Bar-Shalom stressed. “Because Achi Yisraeli is not running, I decided to express support for a party that advances socioeconomic issues and tolerance.”
Bar-Shalom said that Kahlon has been “the most socioeconomic minister Israel has ever” and “is committed to building bridges between the secular, religious and haredim (ultra-Orthodox), and between the [center of the country] and the periphery.”
When asked on Army Radio why she did not endorse Shas – the party of her late father, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef – she said the party did not help anyone on socioeconomic issues.
Shas leader Arye Deri responded by criticizing Bar-Shalom’s leadership of the Haredi Women’s College, which closed, and supporting anti-religious policies.