New Haredi Party 'Black Flag' Emerges Ahead of Israeli Elections Over Yeshiva Draft Issue

A new Haredi political party named "Black Flag" is forming to contest the upcoming Israeli elections, potentially challenging established parties Shas and United Torah Judaism. The initiative, reported by Yoeli Barim on Channel 13, is backed by dozens of rabbis and yeshiva heads from the mainstream Haredi sectors, including Lithuanian, Hasidic, and Sephardic communities. The party's central platform focuses on the contentious issue of drafting yeshiva students into the Israeli military, advocating a return to the "Torato Omanuto" arrangement, which exempts yeshiva students from conscription without sanctions.

The party plans to run rabbis rather than politicians or activists, aiming primarily to protect the status of Torah learners in the Knesset. Internal surveys conducted in several yeshivas indicate potential support from tens of thousands of Haredi voters, including many young men currently considered draft evaders. Unlike extremist groups such as the Jerusalem Faction, "Black Flag" seeks to appeal to the mainstream Haredi public.

The party's name derives from a widely recognized "Black Flag" hotline used to alert the Haredi community about military police actions against draft evaders, which currently has about 100,000 subscribers. Organizers hope to convert this grassroots support into political power. If successful, the new party could significantly impact the electoral strength of Shas and United Torah Judaism and influence the distribution of mandates within the Haredi bloc.

This development introduces a rare intra-community electoral challenge centered on the draft issue, which is expected to be a key theme in the upcoming election campaign.