Gilad Erdan Calls Unity Party the True Home of Religious Zionism, Rejects Draft Evasion

Gilad Erdan, chairman of the Unity Party and former ambassador and minister, stated in an interview with Channel 7 that the Likud party has completely severed ties with the Religious Zionist community, particularly the national-religious sector represented by the "kippot srugot" (knitted kippah) community. He positioned his party as the new true home for this constituency, emphasizing that the national-religious voters who once supported Likud have largely disappeared from its ranks.

Erdan expressed disappointment over the recent Likud primaries, noting that influential factions such as Agudat Yisrael, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and major labor unions now dominate candidate selection, leaving Likud ministers and MKs with minimal influence on major decisions. He highlighted that the Unity Party, which he leads alongside Yuli Edelstein, Aliza Bloch, and Hazi Nahama, all from the national-religious public, is the alternative for these voters.

On religious services, Erdan criticized the disproportionate influence of ultra-Orthodox parties on appointing city rabbis and religious council heads, calling it a "moral distortion" that fosters antagonism among secular Israelis toward Judaism and tradition. He advocated for restoring a balance between Torah study and work to improve public perception.

Regarding the ultra-Orthodox draft, Erdan opposed mass arrests and voting rights suspension but called for linking government benefits such as mortgage subsidies and university admission preferences to military service obligations. He insisted this policy should apply equally to draft evaders among secular Jews and the Arab population. While affirming the importance of Torah study, he supported setting an annual quota for outstanding Torah scholars exempt from service, to be agreed upon by political blocs.

Erdan also urged formal recognition of the state-funded ultra-Orthodox education stream, citing the model implemented by former Beit Shemesh mayor Aliza Bloch. He ruled out joining a narrow government led by either Benjamin Netanyahu or Gadi Eizenkot, emphasizing the need for a broad coalition government capable of enacting judicial reform and universal service laws through consensus.

He warned that a narrow right-wing government would struggle to advance right-wing values, citing public protests against judicial reforms as evidence. Erdan condemned encouragement of draft evasion protests and stressed that only a broad government including diverse political representatives can lead deep judicial reforms without deepening societal divisions.

Addressing differences with Yoaz Hendel and Hili Tropper, dubbed the "third bloc," Erdan noted Tropper's left-wing background and willingness to join a narrow government dependent on Yair Golan, which Erdan opposed. He revealed he gave up a Likud leadership bid to establish the Unity Party, which aims to finalize its joint lists by early July with an expected strength of 8 to 12 Knesset seats.