Netanyahu Plans to Distance Himself from Ultra-Orthodox Parties Ahead of Elections

Senior members of the Likud party revealed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to publicly distance himself from the ultra-Orthodox parties as the upcoming elections approach. According to a party insider, Netanyahu plans to deepen this separation during the campaign while carefully avoiding direct attacks on the ultra-Orthodox bloc to prevent alienating their voters.

This political maneuver follows recent tensions sparked by comments from Rabbi Dov Lando, a leader of the Lithuanian ultra-Orthodox community, who harshly criticized religious soldiers in the IDF, accusing them of facilitating murder. Netanyahu strongly condemned Lando's remarks, emphasizing the sacrifices made by all IDF soldiers, religious and secular alike, and calling for full support from all sectors of Israeli society, including the religious world.

In response to Netanyahu's condemnation, associates of Rabbi Lando issued a clarification, which was sharply criticized by Netanyahu's close advisor, Yonatan Orich, on social media. Orich suggested that ultra-Orthodox leaders should refrain from inflammatory statements for the next 99 days to help secure an election victory.

The political context also includes comments from Likud's Minister Eli Cohen opposing a legislative blitz and former IDF Deputy Chief of Staff Yair Golan stating he will not cooperate with any party from the current coalition. These developments highlight the growing political sensitivity around the ultra-Orthodox sector's role in the upcoming elections and Netanyahu's strategic balancing act.