Former Beit Shemesh Mayor Warns of Internal Division

Aliza Bloch, former mayor of Beit Shemesh and a candidate for Knesset with the National Unity party, has warned that Israeli society is deeply divided, likening the current state to a "civil war." Speaking in an interview, Bloch recounted her experience visiting Kibbutz Kfar Aza, standing at the spot where the late head of the Sha'ar HaNegev Regional Council, Ofir Liebstein, was murdered, in front of his family and members of the security team. She recalled the horrors of October 7th, when she managed a city of 180,000 residents under emergency conditions. Bloch contrasted the military's lessons learned with a perceived regression in social and civilian cohesion, stating that Hamas does not differentiate between Israelis, citing the murders of Matty Weiss, a peace activist from Kibbutz Be'eri, Moshe Ohayon and his son Eliad from Ofakim, and Amit David and Yitzhak Levi from Beit Shemesh.

Bloch criticized the current political landscape, particularly the focus on "blocs" and mutual boycotts, arguing that the pursuit of a 61-seat majority leaves urgent civilian needs unaddressed. She expressed concern over the difficult choices Israelis face, such as being forced into narrow governments dominated by Haredi parties that do not draft their sons into the army, or governments including Arab parties not fully aligned with the Zionist vision. Bloch highlighted the severe consequences of political infighting, mentioning the situation in northern Israel and the decline in the education system, noting that residents of Kiryat Shmona had to protest to get the government to convene a meeting about their plight.

Addressing the issue of Haredi enlistment, Bloch stated that the recent clashes around draft dodgers are a result of historical neglect of Haredi education since 1953. She argued that creating Haredi kindergartens and state-Haredi institutions, as she did in Beit Shemesh, offers a genuine solution. Bloch emphasized her fight is against "Haredi deal-making" and inequality, not against Haredi identity, advocating for the establishment of Haredi Hesder yeshivas and pre-military academies to foster integration. She called for a profound self-examination within Israeli society, urging an end to rewarding hatred and division, and warning that a return to pre-October 7th divisions endangers the nation's future and serves the enemy.