After the Alon Shvut Riot, a Case for a New Zionist Alliance

The article says the attack was not just vandalism but a symbolic clash between the ultra-Orthodox rioters and the people and values represented by that street. It contrasts the rioters with families in the religious-Zionist camp who have borne military service burdens, long reserve duty, caregiving for spouses and children, and loss and injury in combat. The author frames the assailants as people who receive much from the state while demanding exemptions, and says the incident sharpened the sense that the old political arrangement between religious Zionists and the ultra-Orthodox is fraying.

The column argues that for years the default partner for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the ultra-Orthodox bloc, because it wanted broad funding and full exemptions and offered political loyalty in return. But, the author writes, the war has exposed a deeper theological and civic divide, especially inside the religious-Zionist stream known as the “rosh yeshiva line,” which sees liberalism and “progress” as a major threat. That camp, the author says, has found common cause with ultra-Orthodox opposition to the liberal worldview, yet the street attack in Alon Shvut made the rupture harder to ignore.

The piece says the religious-Zionist public is increasingly realizing that the answer is not a permanent alliance with the ultra-Orthodox. Instead, it calls for a cross-camp coalition built on shared Zionist values, military burden-sharing, and economic responsibility. Quoting Likud rebel MK Dan Illouz, the article says, “The sanctification of the faith-based bloc at any price has become idolatry that endangers the very existence of the State of Israel.” The author concludes that any future government should be led by the largest party in the Knesset, joined by Zionist parties from the other camp.