Otzma Yehudit Targets Shas Votes Ahead of Israeli Elections
Amichai Eliyahu, Heritage Minister from Otzma Yehudit, stated in a Sunday interview that his party aims to attract votes from the Shas party in the upcoming elections. He argued that the Sephardic Haredi public is inherently Zionist and was drawn more to the Lithuanian side of the political map after Shas emerged. Eliyahu admitted that Otzma Yehudit initially made a mistake by opposing this demographic but has since established itself to represent them.
Eliyahu also addressed comments by former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who claimed Prime Minister Netanyahu would not repent and called him a deceiver. Eliyahu rejected this, saying Netanyahu is not deceiving everyone and that Otzma Yehudit’s leaders are ideologues who left the coalition when necessary. Regarding his party leader, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Eliyahu defended his performance despite rising violence and murder rates in Arab society.
On the stalled draft exemption law, Eliyahu proposed incentivizing soldiers, reservists, and career military personnel, criticizing the lack of sufficient benefits. He blamed the government legal advisor for failing to provide tools to enforce equal draft laws, citing sanctions imposed nearly 18 months ago without success. On the possibility of a new front with Iran, Eliyahu said no one knows what will happen but emphasized Israel’s coordination with the United States, noting Israel initiated attacks with U.S. support. He condemned claims that elections would drag Israel into war as "malicious and foolish."
