New Ultra-Orthodox Party Aims to Protect Torah Study Amid Draft Law Tensions
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Miller has launched a new Haredi political party, 'Black Color,' to advocate for the protection of Torah study and oppose mandatory military service quotas. The party's formation was spurred by a personal incident highlighting the fear among unaffiliated Haredi men. Miller claims established Haredi parties exert undue pressure on rabbis and the public, and proposes lowering the electoral threshold as a political strategy. He asserts his party seeks only to defend the principle of full-time Torah study.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Miller founded the 'Black Color' party to oppose Haredi conscription and protect Torah study.
- Miller was motivated by a personal incident of fear among unaffiliated Haredi men facing draft pressures.
- The party claims established Haredi parties exert undue pressure on rabbis and the public.
- Miller proposes lowering the electoral threshold to 1.5% to fracture the existing Haredi political bloc.
- 'Black Color' seeks no government positions, only to defend the principle of full-time Torah study.
- Miller alleges severe pressure on rabbis who support his new party.
Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Miller, founder of the new political party 'Black Color' (Tzeva Shahor), has emerged from behind the scenes of event production to lead a public campaign focused on the draft law and the future of Torah study in Israel. In a fiery interview with Eli Gutelfeld on Kikar FM, Miller, who previously supported the UTJ party, declared his affiliation with the Agudath Yisrael movement, aiming to break stereotypes about his new party.
Miller explained that his decision to enter politics stems from a personal incident where a neighbor, fearing police involvement with draft dodgers, hid two young men in her attic for nearly 45 minutes. This event highlighted for him the daily anxiety faced by tens of thousands of Haredi men and families not affiliated with larger, more established communities, who lack adequate support systems. He described widespread stress among young couples and yeshiva students, impacting their daily lives and decisions.
He revealed that an attempt to organize a large-scale public protest was thwarted at the last minute by a senior political figure. Miller also spoke about intense pressure and threats faced by rabbis who express support for 'Black Color'. He recounted the case of Rabbi Moshe Tzaddok, a respected Sephardic Torah scholar, who allegedly faced severe pressure after expressing reservations about voting for established Haredi parties due to their perceived acquiescence to draft quotas.
Miller vehemently rejected accusations that his party is extreme or provocative, stating that its list includes respected figures like yeshiva deans and military experts. He criticized the established Haredi parties, accusing them of failing to provide solutions for a significant portion of the Haredi public and of engaging in smear campaigns against 'Black Color'. He asserted that his party seeks no government positions but aims to act as a bloc of "golden fingers" solely dedicated to protecting the principle of "Torah is their occupation."
As a potential political weapon, Miller proposed lowering the electoral threshold to 1.5%. He believes this would democratically fracture the existing Haredi political bloc into smaller parties, thereby incentivizing them to compromise on the draft issue to maintain their influence. Miller also addressed the personal toll his political activism has taken, noting that he has been unfairly characterized as an underworld figure, but remains committed to his cause, emphasizing the significant contributions of the Haredi public to Israel.
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