Israel’s ultra-Orthodox political establishment has long defended exemptions from military service, rabbinic control over political decisions, and an education system centered on religious study. Now, with elections approaching on October 27, a new Haredi party wants to challenge that model from within.
HaTzibur HaHaredi (The Haredi Public), led by Beit Shemesh Deputy Mayor Moti Leitner, is courting voters who want to remain firmly Orthodox while participating more fully in Israel’s military, economy, and public institutions. In interviews with Gabriel Colodro of The Media Line, the party’s leaders describe October 7 as a turning point that exposed the limits of their community’s separation from broader Israeli society.
Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer, who chairs the party’s rabbinic committee, opposes using arrests to force yeshiva students into military service. But he also condemns protesters who obstruct those arrests. “This is not just opposition to serving in the army. This is also lawlessness,” he said.
The party proposes protecting exemptions for serious full-time Torah scholars while requiring other Haredi men to serve. Pfeffer favors a state-supervised system to determine eligibility, rather than leaving decisions entirely to religious institutions.
Its proposed changes extend beyond the draft. Unlike the established Haredi parties, HaTzibur HaHaredi gives elected representatives greater independence from rabbinic authorities. It also has two women among its top four candidates, including Ziva Glanz and Dr. Nechumi Yaffe.
Glanz wants expanded mathematics and English instruction, more educational choices, and opportunities for Haredim to build careers without abandoning religious observance. Leitner advocates economic self-sufficiency and criticizes religious coercion, while positioning the party firmly on Israel’s political right.
Winning representation will be difficult. The party must cross the 3.25% electoral threshold, and recent national surveys have not shown it doing so. A poll of younger voters suggests greater interest among that age group.
Colodro’s reporting explores the tensions behind these proposals, from military service and women’s political participation to the challenge of maintaining traditional authority in a changing community.
Leitner’s ambition is not fewer yeshiva students, but a Haredi society strong enough economically to support Torah study while taking greater responsibility for Israel’s defense.