Ofer Winter slams rabbi who said it was against Jewish law to vote for party with Arab-Israeli

People of Israel Party chairman Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter decried on Wednesday statements made by President of the Ateret Kohanim Yeshiva Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, who argued that it was against Jewish law to vote for the party because Arab-Israeli activist Yoseph Haddad is placed second on its Knesset slate.

“When I fought under fire in Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank, I served under and personally commanded leaders - commanders and soldiers - who were Druze, Bedouin, and Christian. Through fire and water, I followed my leader and brigade commander, Imad Fares, into battle with complete faith. I knew he would not abandon me in the field, and I trusted his leadership,” Winter stated.

“[Non-Jewish soldiers] were worthy enough to be wounded and even fall for the country. They were worthy enough for us to follow them into battle, and they are worthy enough to lead. Yoseph, my brother, you embody the people of Israel in every sense.

“I am proud of you for having been a commander and leader of soldiers in the Golani Brigade. I am proud that you risked your life for the people of Israel and were wounded in battle. You fought in uniform, and long after your service, you continue fighting to defend the people of Israel everywhere in the world.”

On Tuesday, Aviner was asked whether Jewish law permits voting for a party with a non-Jewish candidate holding the number two position.

“Certainly not,” he answered, arguing that Jewish law distinguishes between the personal treatment of a non-Jew and appointing a non-Jew to a position of national leadership.

“Certainly, a non-Jewish friend should be treated well if he meets the definition of a ger toshav, but he cannot be given positions of leadership over the nation,” Aviner said.

Ger toshav is the term used in Judaism to describe a non-Jewish person living in Israel who will not convert to the religion but observes the Seven Laws of Noah and is therefore considered righteous.

Aviner cited Maimonides’s Laws of Kings, insisting that even a person defined as one of the “righteous among the nations” could not serve as a leader in the Land of Israel.

“He can be a private citizen, yes, but not as a leader,” he said.

Haddad was unveiled as the number two candidate in Winter’s newly established right-wing People of Israel party last week at the party’s launch event.

At the event, Haddad said that entering politics was a continuation of his service to Israel, after years of military service and public diplomacy. He has said he hopes to become Israel’s public diplomacy minister and the first Arab member of the security cabinet.

Tzohar rabbis reject Aviner’s interpretation of the halacha

The Tzohar Rabbinical Organization rejected Aviner’s interpretation, saying leading halachic authorities had already ruled that Jews may vote for non-Jewish candidates for the Knesset.

“Yoseph Haddad is a person who has done, and continues to do, a great deal for the State of Israel, in Israel and around the world, and was even wounded during his military service defending the country,” the organization said.

Tzohar cited the biblical example of King David appointing Ittai the Gittite, whom the organization described as a foreigner, to a senior military command because of his loyalty to the king and kingdom.

“Even today, in the State of Israel, there are non-Jewish citizens who act with devotion for the state, defend it, and contribute to its strength,” Tzohar said.

“The appointment and advancement of such people, when they have the public’s confidence and act loyally toward the state and its laws, does not contradict Israel’s Jewish identity, but is an expression of the state’s strength and its ability to incorporate all its citizens.”

The organization said prominent halachic authorities, including former chief rabbi Isaac Herzog and Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, had ruled that non-Jews may be elected to the Knesset and that traditional restrictions concerning the appointment of a king did not apply in the same manner to modern democratic government.

“Accordingly, it is permissible to vote for an Arab candidate who is loyal to the state, and throughout the history of the state, Jews and non-Jews have participated in the Knesset and the government,” Tzohar said.

“Precisely at a time when there are elements among the non-Jewish public who incite against the State of Israel and against the possibility of living together, we must strengthen and empower those Arab citizens who recognize the State of Israel, its Jewish identity, and its sovereignty, and who work for its security and prosperity.”