Rabbi Prohibits Voting for Party with Non-Jew in Leadership Role

A controversy has erupted within the religious Zionist sector over the inclusion of Arab activist Yousef Haddad as the second candidate on the electoral list of the "Amcha Yisrael" party, led by retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter. Prominent Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, head of the "Ateret Cohanim" yeshiva, has issued a ruling prohibiting voting for any list that places a non-Jew in a leadership position. Rabbi Aviner stated that while non-Jews, including "ger toshav" (resident alien) or "righteous gentiles," deserve respect and civil rights, granting them leadership authority is unacceptable. He cited Maimonides' "Laws of Kings" to support his view, interpreting a Torah commandment to appoint a king "from among your brothers" as a prohibition against any non-Jew holding positions of power or governance over the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, including roles like king, minister, or general.

Ofer Winter, the party's leader, countered by recalling his service with Druze, Bedouin, and Christian Arab soldiers, some of whom died under his command, such as Imad Fares and Ahsan Dakso. Winter argued that their willingness to fight, be wounded, and die for the state made them worthy of leadership. He referred to Yousef Haddad as a "true brother."

The association of religious Zionist rabbis, "Tzohar," and its chairman, Rabbi David Stav, presented an alternative Halachic interpretation. They suggested that Maimonides' restrictions applied to monarchical rule and are not directly applicable to modern democratic parliamentary systems. Tzohar referenced 20th-century Halachic authorities, including Rabbis Isaac Herzog, Eliezer Waldenberg, and Yaakov Ariel, and noted King David's appointment of Itai of Gath, a non-Israelite, to a high military post due to his loyalty.

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner is a significant figure in religious Zionism. Born in France in 1943, he trained as an electrical engineer and served in the French Air Force before immigrating to Israel in 1966. He served in the IDF, reaching the rank of Major (reserves), founded a yeshiva in Jerusalem's Old City, and was the rabbi of the Beit El settlement. He previously declined an offer to join the Mossad but later undertook two covert missions in Iran after the Islamic Revolution.