Israeli Party Rules Out Coalition With Haredi Parties, Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Professor Yaron Zelekha, a key figure in the Reservists-Economic party, announced his party will not join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu if it includes Haredi parties. Zelekha stated his party will not provide a majority for such a coalition, citing Haredi draft evasion as a reason. Party chairman Yoaz Hendel added that universal conscription is their main condition for government formation. Hendel also expressed concerns about Israel's future Zionist majority due to separate Haredi and Arab communities.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Yaron Zelekha's party will not join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu with Haredi parties.
- The Reservists-Economic party demands universal conscription as a condition for government formation.
- Zelekha cited Haredi draft evasion as a reason for not joining a coalition.
- Party chairman Yoaz Hendel warned of a potential non-Zionist majority in Israel by 2048.
- Hendel criticized the idea of granting exemptions to certain population groups.
- The party aims to prevent the disintegration of Israel's Zionist character.
Professor Yaron Zelekha, number two in the Reservists-Economic party, has declared that his party will not join a government led by Benjamin Netanyahu if it relies on the support of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties. Zelekha stated that his party will not provide the necessary 61-seat majority for such a government and will not sit in a coalition alongside the Haredi parties.
"The Haredim are our brothers," Zelekha said in a joint statement with party chairman Yoaz Hendel, "But parties that lead a line of separatism and draft evasion are not Zionist, and we will not sit with them." He clarified that even though a small portion of the Haredi public serves in the military, his party will not enable Netanyahu and the Haredi parties to form a government.
Hendel emphasized that his party's primary condition for forming a government is universal conscription. "We call for conscription for everyone as a condition for forming a government. This is the most important thing for us," Hendel stated. He criticized the idea of prioritizing the prime minister's position over conscription, as he claimed other parties in the "change bloc" were doing. Hendel added, "We want a government that will stop the disintegration here into blue blood of evaders and red blood of those who serve."
Hendel also criticized the positions of Winter and Eizenkot, questioning the fairness of granting exemptions. "If you start giving out exemptions, there will be no conscription for anyone," he argued. He further questioned why Torah students from the Religious Zionist sector would be considered less valuable than others if they were to receive exemptions for a third of the population.
Hendel also raised concerns about the demographic future of Israel, suggesting that integrating the Haredi and Arab sectors into national service programs is crucial not only for security but also to maintain a Zionist majority. He warned that the existence of two separate autonomies, Haredi and Arab, where law is not always observed and a sense of belonging to the state is lacking, poses an existential threat. Hendel cautioned that without immediate action to form a Zionist government, Israel could face disintegration by 2048, with a non-Zionist majority, and that the nation deserves better.
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