Yoaz Hendel, chairman of the joint Reservists-Economic Party, called on Thursday morning on Ofer Winter, chairman of the Amcha Yisrael party, to sign a surplus-vote agreement with him and pledge that both parties would join only a government that excludes haredi and Arab parties.
In a statement to the press, Hendel described the initiative as a "blocking bloc against non-Zionist governments" and called on Winter to reverse the alleged decision to join only a government with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the haredi parties.
"Winter, take back your statement that you will only join Netanyahu and the haredi parties," Hendel declared. "We reservists need you. We are your natural partners, not the haredi parties."
Hendel linked his appeal to the war and what he described as the need to increase the number of soldiers serving in the IDF, claiming, "You are being forced to choose between two non-Zionist governments: either a government with the haredi parties, which extort the government into encouraging draft evasion and harming national security, or a government with the Arab parties, which do not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization," he said.
According to Hendel, three years after October 7, Israel must change the way governing coalitions are formed.
"It is inconceivable that after everything we have been through, politics should continue as though nothing happened," he said, arguing that "Zionist forces must cooperate and establish a Zionist government."
Hendel "With haredi parties, we cannot win on the battlefield. We cannot fulfill our missions on the front lines. We need more soldiers," he said.
He also claimed that in a coalition which includes Agudat Yisrael chair MK Yitzhak Goldknopf, "there is no chance that universal conscription will be passed."
"Let's sign a surplus-vote agreement and declare together that we are two parties that will join only a Zionist government," Hendel urged.
"Together, we will form a blocking bloc against non-Zionist governments and coalitions with haredi or Arab parties. Break free from the old mindset and help us achieve victory on the battlefield."