Senior Rabbi Warns Against Voting for Israeli Party With Gentile as No. 2
Prominent Rabbi Shlomo Aviner warns against voting for Ofer Winter's "Amcha Yisrael" party, citing Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad as its No. 2 candidate.
Jerusalem, 2 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, a prominent Religious Zionist rabbi, spoke out Tuesday against voting for Ofer Winter’s “Amcha Yisrael” party because its slate includes Israeli-Arab activist Yoseph Haddad.
Haddad is number two on the party slate.
During a class at the Ateret Jerusalem yeshiva in Jerusalem, where Aviner is dean, a student asked the rabbi if it was permissible to vote for a party whose number two candidate is not Jewish.
“Certainly not,” Aviner replied. “A gentile should be treated well as a friend. But even if he meets the definition of a monotheistic resident, he cannot be given leadership positions over the nation.”
“Even if he is a Righteous Gentile, he cannot be a leader in the Land of Israel,” Aviner added.
Winter responded that he had commanded and fought alongside Druze, Bedouin and Christian commanders and soldiers, never viewing their identity as an obstacle to leadership.