Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, the chairman of the People of Israel party, fired back at Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of United Torah Judaism’s haredi (ultra-Orthodox) faction Agudat Yisrael, on Monday after he stated that UTJ would demand a full military draft exemption for any student of a yeshiva.
“Not everyone who wears black and white studies Torah,” Winter, who comes from a national religious background, said.
“There will be no government without regulating the status of those who serve. Our commitment to them is paramount.”
Winter also called for Goldknopf to stop “deceiving the public,” saying that “this system harms first and foremost the true Torah students.”
“What was – will not be,” he concluded.
Earlier on Monday, Winter released his party’s slate, submitting it at the Knesset along with other parties ahead of the October elections.
The choice not to merge also appeared to defy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been pushing small parties to merge to avoid losing votes from the right-wing bloc if they fail to cross the electoral threshold.
Keshet Neev and Tobias Holcman contributed to this report.