Knesset Vice Chairman Yisrael Eichler (UTJ) expressed concern over MK Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party joining together with Benny Gantz's new "Israel Resilience" party, Kikar Hashabbat reported.
In his opinion, if the Lapid-Gantz joint party comes to power, it will seriously harm the haredi community, causing a bloodless "civil war."
In an interview, Eichler told Kikar that he "does not see an option for UTJ to join a government headed by Lapid and Gantz."
"The day the connection between the two was created, it was a barrage of rockets on the haredi community. We need an 'Iron Dome' to protect the haredim and Judaism from such a unification," he said.
"There's a symbolism in [Gantz's] unification with Lapid. He symbolizes the war and everything bad in the State of Israel. The moment he comes to power, we need to erect an Iran Dome - our votes."
Regarding the 'haredi explosion,' he said, "We supported haredi unity. There was a complaint that haredi unity would erase the Sephardic identity. If Shas passes the electoral threshold, then obviously it's better for each party to run separately."
"Shas will certainly have six Knesset seats. The Sephardic periphery voting for the Likud totals no more than one seat.
"Shas and UTJ need to have a joint campaign, so that no Jew will vote for a secular party. It's important that the Ashkenazic-haredi community will have all the communities, just like in the Jerusalem municipality."
Turning to the extremist "Jerusalem Faction," Eichler said, "The unity between Gantz and Lapid allows even the simplest person in Israel to understand that he has to go to the voting station and save the nation of Israel. These are elections in which we choose whether to exist or cease existing."
Regarding the haredi representative in the Lapid-Gantz list, Eichler said, "Omer Yankelovitch - it's a shame to waste even one minute. No haredi who observes the Torah and its commandments will vote for a party with Lapid. Every haredi Jew needs to know that there is a civil war going on here - just without the blood."