Rabbi Haim Amsalem
Rabbi Haim AmsalemTomer Neuberg/Flash 90

There could soon be three parties aiming to gain the votes of members of the hareidi Sephardic community.

Former Shas MK Rabbi Chaim Amsalem this week called a meeting of activists of his Am Shalem (“the Complete Nation”) movement, in what many saw as an opening bid to declaring the party's intention to run in the upcoming Knesset elections.

Like ex-Shas leader Eli Yishai, who dropped out of Shas recently to start his own party, Amsalem did the same in 2011, forming Am Shalem while he was still a Shas MK. Although at odds with Shas leader Aryeh Deri, Amsalem is no fan of Yishai's either, who he accused of kowtowing to extreme elements in the Sephardic hareidi world. Amsalem ran his party in the 2013 elections, but did not receive enough votes for Knesset representation. Now, he could find himself running in the elections against not only the party led by Deri, but by Yishai as well

At the meeting, Amsalem said that he would "continue the fight we began in the Knesset. We will not hesitate to take the steps necessary to institute change. We are not afraid of failing to get enough votes for Knesset representation. I will not be silenced."

"Each day I realize that only a moderate and welcoming Judaism that accepts converts will solve the true problems of Israel, that are only getting worse. In the next Knesset, we will work to change that as well."

Two weeks ago, Amsalem called on Jewish Home to discuss his inclusion on their ticket. Speaking to Arutz Sheva at the time, Amsalem said that "a large part of the tens of thousands who voted for me would love to see me in Jewish Home. It is the natural place for me."

Among other issues, Amsalem's split from Shas was the result of his accusations that the party was abandoning "authentic Sephardi values" and adopting more extremist positions held by Ashkenazi hareidim, including shunning employment in favor of full-time Torah study and discouraging IDF enlistment.