Netanyahu Seeks to Prevent Vote Waste, Approaches Spiritual Leader of Avi Maoz's Party
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring small parties, including Avi Maoz's Noam and Motty Leitner's Hachareidi Hachadash, to withdraw from elections to prevent vote waste. Sources close to Rabbi Tau, Noam's spiritual patron, stated he refused to ask the party to withdraw, believing it must run to defend Jewish identity. Netanyahu's office and Bezalel Smotrich's party are also pressuring other small Haredi factions, citing concerns over conscription and voter suppression.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Netanyahu is pressuring small parties to withdraw from elections to prevent vote waste.
- Netanyahu's office sought a meeting with Rabbi Tau, spiritual patron of Avi Maoz's Noam party, to urge withdrawal.
- Rabbi Tau refused to ask Noam to withdraw, stating the party must run to defend Jewish identity.
- Netanyahu and Bezalel Smotrich are pressuring Motty Leitner's Hachareidi Hachadash party to withdraw.
- Hachareidi Hachadash advocates for Haredi integration into the workforce and IDF enlistment for those not studying Torah.
- Concerns exist about voter suppression in the Haredi sector due to disappointment with current parties.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is actively working to pressure smaller parties that could potentially "waste" votes for the coalition bloc, aiming to convince them to withdraw from the upcoming elections. As part of these efforts, Netanyahu's office recently attempted to arrange a meeting with Rabbi Tau, the president of the Har HaMor Yeshiva and the spiritual patron of MK Avi Maoz's Noam party. Netanyahu and his associates are trying to prevent Noam from running, as its support is estimated to be a few thousand votes, potentially up to half a mandate. Sources close to Rabbi Tau stated that while Netanyahu reached out, the Rabbi refused, asserting that if the meeting's purpose was to make Noam withdraw, it was not an option. Rabbi Tau believes Noam must run to the end to fight for the Jewish identity of Israel and the education of Israeli children.
Netanyahu's team, along with supporters of Religious Zionism party chairman Bezalel Smotrich, are also pressuring smaller Haredi parties to withdraw. Significant pressure is focused on the "Hachareidi Hachadash" party, led by Motty Leitner, which polls suggest could waste a full mandate. Omer Rahamim, campaign manager for Religious Zionism and Smotrich's close advisor, met with Leitner to negotiate a withdrawal. Senior figures in Netanyahu's office have also spoken with Leitner, offering various incentives for him to influence the Haredi public if he agrees to step aside. The Hachareidi Hachadash party advocates for integrating Haredim into the workforce and for those not studying Torah to enlist in the IDF, challenging United Torah Judaism and Shas.
This pressure on Leitner is compounded by concerns within Netanyahu's bloc about voter suppression in the Haredi sector, potentially leading many to not vote for United Torah Judaism and Shas due to disappointment over the current term's handling of conscription.
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