Full coverage· Politics· Updated 19:30

Haredi Party Chairman Rejects Pressure to Withdraw from Knesset Race

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud party are pressuring Moti Leitner, chairman of the Haredi Public party, to withdraw from the upcoming Knesset elections. Likud officials fear that Leitner's candidacy will split the right-wing bloc, siphoning votes away from established Haredi parties and potentially jeopardizing Netanyahu's chances of securing a majority. The pressure on Leitner follows similar efforts against Ofer Winter's Am Israel party, amid an intensifying campaign on the right against swing parties.

7 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 10:06

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Haredi Party Chairman Rejects Pressure to Withdraw from Knesset Race — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pressuring Haredi Public party chairman Moti Leitner to withdraw from the Knesset elections.
02Likud officials fear Leitner's candidacy will siphon votes from the right-wing bloc and prevent Netanyahu from securing a majority.
03Leitner rejected Netanyahu's proposals, which reportedly included a role as a project manager for the Haredi public.
04Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is in accelerated negotiations with Leitner, while Likud representatives also approached Rabbi David Leibl.
05Leitner claimed that leaders and envoys from Shas and United Torah Judaism have issued harsh threats against his party.
06The Haredi Public party advocates for initiatives including Haredi yeshivas in Judea and Samaria, consensual conscription, and core studies.
07Leitner declared his party will stay in the race to break the political monopoly of the established Haredi parties.

Leitner met with Netanyahu late at night and rejected the Prime Minister's offers, which reportedly included a role as a project manager for the Haredi public. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has also been in accelerated negotiations with Leitner. Additionally, representatives from the Prime Minister's office have approached Rabbi David Leibl, seeking a meeting to enlist his support for the withdrawal, though no meeting has occurred.

Leitner declared that his party will remain in the race to break the political monopoly of Shas and United Torah Judaism, which he described as corrupt and violent. He claimed that leaders and envoys from these established parties have issued harsh threats against his movement. Leitner stated that his party represents tens of thousands of underserved Haredim, including Torah scholars, soldiers, converts, and immigrants, and advocates for initiatives such as Haredi yeshivas in Judea and Samaria, a consensual conscription plan, and core curriculum studies.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 7 newsrooms. Updated 22:07