New Party Vows to Block Government Without Conscripting Haredim

Ofer Vinter, chairman of the 'Am Israel' party, declared on Wednesday that his faction will refuse to join any government that does not first pass legislation integrating the ultra-Orthodox into military service. Vinter stated that his party is united and determined to serve the nation, emphasizing that they will not compromise on ensuring all segments of society share national responsibility.

He criticized previous attempts to integrate Haredim into the IDF, suggesting that those who failed in the past will not succeed in the future. Vinter also linked this issue to broader governmental effectiveness, questioning the ability of current leadership to achieve clear decisions in Gaza or establish a trusted investigative committee after years of failure.

Conversely, MK Yoav Ben Tzur of the Shas party expressed a similar stance, stating his party will not join a government unless a law ending draft evasion is passed beforehand. Vinter rejected proposals for mergers with other right-wing parties, including those from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, insisting on alliances only with "new and clean" individuals.

Yosef Haddad, number two on the Am Israel list, affirmed the party's commitment to acting in Israel's best interest, not for personal gain. He reiterated that they will not be part of any government without their demanded reforms, which will be presented transparently to ensure genuine political change and a stronger Israel with shared national burden across all sectors, including Arabs and secular Jews.

Vinter previously announced that while his party supports Netanyahu as the leader of the right-wing bloc, they will not be subservient to any individual's dictates. He confirmed rejecting offers from Netanyahu to unite with Bezalel Smotrich or Itamar Ben-Gvir.