New Party 'Tzeva Shachor' Claims It Will Expand Ultra-Orthodox Knesset Representation

The new ultra-Orthodox party 'Tzeva Shachor' (Black Color) has released a video arguing that its participation in elections will not split the ultra-Orthodox vote but rather increase overall representation in the Knesset. The campaign claims that hundreds of thousands of eligible ultra-Orthodox voters, out of approximately 730,000, are currently not represented by the established parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism. They contend that many of these individuals have either moved to other parties or stopped voting altogether.

The video asserts that seven out of ten of their supporters would not vote for another ultra-Orthodox party if 'Tzeva Shachor' did not run, suggesting these voters would instead abstain. The party's campaign believes they are not taking votes from Shas or UTJ but are instead bringing back lost voters to the ballot box. Their analysis suggests that 'Tzeva Shachor's' entry could boost the total ultra-Orthodox bloc from its current 15-16 seats to 19 or even 21 seats.

The campaign draws a parallel to the establishment of Shas as a new ultra-Orthodox list that they claim expanded the community's political power at the time. 'Tzeva Shachor' frames the choice not as selecting between different ultra-Orthodox parties, but between votes remaining at home and gaining additional ultra-Orthodox strength in the Knesset. They state this increased power would be used to fight against a 50% conscription draft plan and to regulate the status of yeshiva students.