Ishay David, identifying himself as one of the “useful” right-wingers criticized by Kalman Libeskind, argues that the real priority in the coming election is not ideological purity but Jewish unity. In a long response, he says the phrase “useful” is unnecessary and that Israel should move away from internal political warfare, lowering tensions rather than deepening a civil split.
David says he grew up on Bnei Akiva values of Jewish unity and was troubled by the Likud slogan “Only one can stand against the whole left.” In his view, the left is not the enemy, but part of a shared national fate. He says the memory that should guide Jews now is the trauma of internal division, and he wants a government that is not dominated by his own camp and does not keep the internal conflict at a high boil.
He argues that the Religious Zionist camp’s collapse from 14 seats to about 4 shows that many voters, including reservists, no longer want representatives who fuel the “brotherly war.” He also accuses the outgoing coalition of a “sick” need to prevent young ultra-Orthodox men from serving while repeatedly sending religious Zionist fathers to the front, and says he is unwilling to pay that price for political stability or for controversial judicial reforms.
David says the government should instead find real ways to draft ultra-Orthodox men, including adapted frameworks such as hesder-like tracks, and asks how many widows and orphans the coalition is worth. He then turns to the election question of trust in Naftali Bennett, saying Bennett is a normal politician with strengths and weaknesses, not a uniquely dishonest figure. David concludes that a unity government is needed after the election, but that only the bloc led by Bennett, or another anti-coalition figure, is more likely to build it. On the final question, “What are you first, Jewish or right-wing?” he answers: “Jewish.”
