Maj. (res.) Shai Kalach, a former Israel Air Force fighter pilot running in the Likud primaries ahead of the next Knesset elections, says he decided to enter politics to take part in what he views as a critical struggle over Israel's future.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva-Israel National News, Kalach said he believes "there is a need for someone to be there in the Knesset and fight, struggle against those who would like to eradicate the Jewish identity from the Jewish state," adding that he also seeks to confront those who encouraged refusal to serve in the IDF during the judicial reform protests. "I had the privilege to lead the counter-struggle against those forms of insubordination," he said.
Kalach, who was born on a kibbutz and served in the IAF, said his background gives him an understanding of the circles from which the protest movement emerged. He argued that the dispute extends beyond judicial reform, describing it as "a real struggle" over Israel's identity.
Asked what he hopes to accomplish if elected to the Knesset, Kalach said his first priority would be "to eradicate and not leave any remnants of the so-called deep state." He said he believes the "radical left" holds influence in institutions including the military, the courts, the media, universities, and the education system.
Kalach said he believes he can contribute particularly on issues relating to the IDF General Staff, while emphasizing what he described as the need to strengthen Israel's identity as a Jewish state. "The whole struggle is about a Jewish state," he said. "We would like to have a Jewish state."