Tzeva Shachor ad on draft: "50%. It's you or your son"

The campaign video (Photo: Tzeva Shachor)

Tzeva Shachor, the breakaway chareidi party, has released a sharp new campaign video presenting the impasse the established chareidi parties face on the draft issue. "50%. It's you. Or your son," runs the central message, aimed squarely at the chareidi public.

The video strings together quotes from roshei yeshiva and chareidi politicians on the Bismuth bill and the sanctions facing yeshiva bochurim, then asks: what solution are the chareidi parties offering the day after the election?

Among the clips is a statement from HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlita, rosh yeshiva, explaining why a law setting a fifty-percent draft target with sanctions against bnei yeshiva could not be advanced. "Because it will not be possible to continue the way of life of the yeshivos under this law," he said.

The video also features recent statements from senior figures in the chareidi political establishment. Chief among them: Shas chairman Aryeh Deri saying "we need to focus on Mashiach" because "there is no solution right now," and a remark by Elyakim Shtark: "Don't wait for a solution, there is no solution."

Against the backdrop of pressure on smaller parties to withdraw from the race, Tzeva Shachor chairman Yaakov Chaim Miller made clear that pressure will not work on his party. "They know that gedolei Yisrael sent us to establish the party, and they also know they have no solution for 'toraso umnaso' - the reason we were founded," he said.

Miller added that the party is preparing for intensified pressure and even for attempts to bring rabbanim to speak out against it, but stressed: "In the coming days, the names of the gedolei Yisrael who sent us will be revealed, and you will see they are no less than the gedolei Yisrael standing behind Shas and Gimmel. We will run to the end, and you will find us on the ballot."

According to Miller, Tzeva Shachor seeks to grow strong enough to serve as backing for Shas and United Torah Judaism and to prevent them from compromising on the status of "toraso umnaso."