'We say that the values flock to the polls'

Moshe Kinley Tur-Paz, a resident of the religious kibbutz Kfar Etzion who is running for the Knesset with Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party, rejected in an interview with Arutz Sheva those who question his choice of Yesh Atid as his party.

"It's a wonderful party which believes in connections between religious and secular people," said Tur-Paz.

He rejected attempts to label him, Elazar Stern and Aliza Lavie as the "fig leaf" of Yair Lapid, saying the three are true partners of Lapid and of a party that connects right and left and religious and secular with the common goal of bringing about a better state.

"I do not want to disqualify others, but Yesh Atid has a way, has a platform, has an excellent group that leads it, and I'm happy to join this group. It's a ​​party of values. We say that 'values ​​flock to the polls' and that means we believe in values ​​even though it is difficult and are ready to fight corruption and change priorities in the country, despite the forces acting against us," said Tur-Paz.

On issues of religion and state, Tur-Paz believes that the best way is the adoption of the Medan-Gavison Covenant, a product of understandings reached between Professor Ruth Gavison and Rabbi Yaakov Medan over the issue of regulating Shabbat observance in Israel. The agreement would enable some businesses to be open on Shabbat, such as restaurants, while keeping public transportation and government offices closed.

“There is no reason for a bus to pass through Kfar Etzion on Shabbat, but in a secular neighborhood in Tel Aviv there is no reason why a person should not travel on a bus, and that is less a desecration of the Sabbath. When we force our way upon others, we shoot ourselves in the foot," he opined.

On the prospect of an alliance between his party and Benny Gantz's Israel Resilience, Tur-Paz says that the impression is that his party is very interested in such an alliance, but for the moment it is not getting answers from Gantz on values ​​and about a path.

"The story is not about spots on the list at all. We want to know who is leading there, the left, the right, the social? We've been saying clear things for seven years and we have detailed plans for everything and we are ready to take power right now. I wish for the talks to succeed, but even if they do not, Yesh Atid presents an excellent team to lead the country."

"If Israel Resilience provides answers, we can connect. If we reach an agreement on values, we will reach an agreement on placement on the list. As of right now we are talking to ourselves and Israel Resilience lives in fantasies that it will do things alone.”