Former Judo Coach Oren Smadja Won't Vote in Upcoming Israeli Election

Oren Smadja, a prominent right-wing activist and former coach of the Israeli national judo team, announced he will not vote in the upcoming elections. Smadja, who recently joined Gilad Erdan's Unity Party, stated on Radio 103fm that for the first time in his life, there is no leader or person compelling enough for him to cast a ballot.

Erdan himself had previously announced his party's withdrawal from the electoral race. He explained that after a month-long campaign, despite support for the party, attempts to form alliances with other parties failed. Erdan had founded the Unity Party with the aim of establishing a broad Zionist government capable of passing a genuine conscription law and resolving national disputes.

However, Erdan concluded that the public's priorities differed from the party's founding principles. He observed that the majority of the public is primarily focused on a clear decision regarding the identity of the prime minister, and the need for a broad unity government is not a high priority for citizens in the current election cycle.