Netanyahu Meets Moti Leitner, Urges Haredi Public to Quit

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met personally last night with Moti Leitner, chairman of the new Haredi Public party, to press him to pull out of the October 27 election. Leitner's party is independent of Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ), the two established ultra-Orthodox parties. It presents itself as an alternative for working Haredim, Haredim who serve in the military and members of ultra-Orthodox communities who feel unrepresented by the existing leadership.

The meeting with Netanyahu followed earlier talks with his campaign team. Ynet reported that on Monday, Likud campaign manager Zvika Brot met Leitner and offered him a government post overseeing a budget of hundreds of millions of shekels in exchange for leaving the race. The appointment would depend on Netanyahu forming the next government.

Both Likud and the Haredi Public party deny that the post would be a ministerial or deputy ministerial appointment. Some believe that it is a government project director role focused on initiatives for the Haredi community, including establishing state-run Haredi educational institutions and integrating ultra-Orthodox Israelis into the labor market. Omer Rachamim, campaign manager for Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich, drew up the arrangement.

The pressure campaign began last Thursday. Leitner turned down the proposals on Monday morning, but Brot and other Likud representatives insisted on meeting him again that evening.

Leitner still insists he will run to the end. He has nevertheless left the door open to a deal. He has made clear that he will not accept promises of a future government role without guarantees that Shas and UTJ will not block the arrangement.

Likud's concern is arithmetic. Leitner is aligned with the right and has backed a Netanyahu-led government. If his party draws votes from Netanyahu's supporters but falls below the electoral threshold, those votes will not translate into Knesset seats, weakening the bloc.

His platform breaks sharply with the established Haredi parties. Leitner backs protecting full-time Torah scholars from conscription while requiring Haredi men who are not studying to perform military, civilian or national service. He also supports bringing mathematics and English into Haredi schools and expanding ultra-Orthodox participation in the workforce.

The party has also placed women on its Knesset slate, which neither Shas nor UTJ does. Dr. Nechumi Yaffe, a researcher of Haredi society, holds third place. Ziva Glantz, an advocate for core curriculum studies in Haredi schools, is fourth.

As JFeed reported on Monday, Leitner said in an interview that "very generous value-based proposals" touching on Haredi education, higher education and employment had been presented to him, but he vowed to stay in the race. "There's talk like sand and nothing to eat, we're running to the end," he said.