Hendel: 155,000 Votes Fuel Fight Outside Knesset Over Draft Compromise

Ordinary reservists in Israel now face a political reality where their party leader says the opposition has already capitulated on military service. Yoaz Hendel, who leads the Reservists-Economic party, told 103FM radio on Sunday that the bloc opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to strike a deal with ultra-Orthodox groups. He argues this move abandons the core promise of conscription for all citizens.

The criticism follows direct comments from Avigdor Liberman, chairman of Yisrael Beytenu. On Friday, Liberman stated his party was prepared to be flexible and compromise on the haredi draft law. He outlined these terms as conditions for joining a coalition led by Gadi Eisenkot, the head of the Yashar party. Hendel viewed these remarks as a betrayal of the pre-election pledge to stand up for those who serve.

Hendel noted that his party failed to cross the electoral threshold, leaving him to watch events from outside the Knesset. He recalled a conversation with 103FM hosts Avishai Grinzaig and Barak Seri before the election. He told them he feared the opposition would give up the draft law if they needed all 61 seats to form a government. His hosts had replied that such a scenario was unlikely.

"I didn't believe that an hour after the election, they would abandon the entire worldview I fought for over three years," Hendel said. He pointed to campaign slogans on buses that touted an alliance of those who serve. He warned that without immediate action, the state risks falling apart. He described a deepening social fragmentation, noting that the Negev and Galilee lack effective governance.

Hendel described a society where the Arab sector sings Biladi, Biladi, while other communities sing about the rule of heretics. He argued that the disgrace of the compromise has already occurred in the eyes of the public. "The Change bloc, which claimed that the flag of those who serve was what mattered to it, has already given up," he stated. He added that supporters of Netanyahu now argue all parties are the same because of this perceived shift.

Reflecting on his own campaign, Hendel said 155,000 people voted for him. He acknowledged this number was not enough for a Knesset seat under current rules. He framed the result as a platform rather than a defeat. "Both the votes I brought in and the failure to cross the threshold are on me," he said. He emphasized that his mission is to fight from outside the legislature to prevent the state from breaking into autonomous enclaves.