Senior Rabbi Rules it Halachically Permissible to Vote for Joseph Haddad

Rabbi Elyakim Levanon, the rabbi of the Samaria region, stated on Thursday that it is religiously permissible to vote for Joseph Haddad, an Arab Israeli who joined Ofer Winter's "Am Yisrael" party. Rabbi Levanon's comments came in response to Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, who had previously called not to vote for Winter's party because Haddad is not Jewish. "I am not in favor of voting for small parties, but halachically, it is permitted and possible to vote for Joseph Haddad," Rabbi Levanon said in an interview with Kan News.

Rabbi Levanon also addressed Rabbi Aviner's citation from Maimonides, which prohibits appointing women to public office. Levanon noted that women are currently appointed to public roles, referencing Golda Meir as a historical example, and stated that "even among the nations of the world, those who support our position, one can vote for them." This implies he sees Haddad as a potential candidate for public office, similar to non-Jewish allies.

Earlier in the week, Rabbi Aviner had stated that a non-Jew cannot be given leadership roles over the nation in Israel, even if they are a "Righteous Gentile." He clarified that a non-Jew could be a private citizen but not a leader. Aviner's remarks were in reaction to Haddad's joining Winter's party.

Ofer Winter responded to Rabbi Aviner's position by asserting that those worthy of fighting and being wounded for the country are also worthy of leadership. Winter expressed pride in Haddad's service as a commander in the Golani Brigade and his injury in battle, stating, "Joseph my brother, I am proud of you for being a commander and leader of fighters in Golani, proud of you for risking your life for the people of Israel and being wounded in battle."

Winter recently revealed his party's Knesset list, which includes Joseph Haddad and Netali Shem Tov. The article also briefly mentions that Winter is "filtering" Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is reportedly offering him Knesset seats in exchange for withdrawing from the race.