JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The most intriguing development in Charedi politics ahead of Israel’s October elections may be emerging from Beit Shemesh.

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Moti Leitner heads Hatzibur HaCharedi (The Charedi Public), a new party built around a central claim: hundreds of thousands of Charedim who work, support their families and seek greater economic opportunity have no genuine political representation.

After four decades in which Shas and United Torah Judaism have dominated Charedi politics, Leitner believes a significant segment of the community has been overlooked. His movement grew out of the local Derech party in Beit Shemesh, where it won two City Council seats, and has since expanded into a nationwide campaign.

“They Feel They Don’t Count”

Before launching the party, Leitner spent a year visiting Charedi communities across Israel.

“I kept hearing the same message,” he says. “A father working long hours but still unable to make ends meet. A kollel wife struggling every month to balance the household budget. Young men who left yeshiva, entered the workforce and suddenly felt like outsiders.

“These people are not on the margins. They are at the center of Charedi life, yet for years the political system has been telling them they don’t count.”

How Is This Different?

Critics dismiss Hatzibur HaCharedi as simply another Charedi party. Leitner disagrees.

“We answer to ordinary Charedi families—their livelihoods, their children’s education and their ability to build a dignified future. Too often, current representatives focus on slogans instead of practical solutions.”

He argues that Israel needs a confident, economically secure Charedi community, while the Charedi community needs an Israel that respects Torah and religious life.

“These are not competing goals,” he says. “They depend on one another.”

Why Form a New Party?

Leitner acknowledges that he first approached both Shas and United Torah Judaism, hoping to secure meaningful representation for working Charedim within the existing parties.

“We weren’t looking for positions – we presented policy proposals,” he says. “After months of discussions, we simply stopped hearing back.”

That silence, he says, convinced him to appeal directly to voters.

“At that point, you either go home or give the public a choice.”

The Army Debate

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of Leitner’s platform concerns military service.

He argues that Israel needs two clear tracks.

“A young man genuinely dedicated to full-time Torah study should receive a real legal exemption – not a temporary political arrangement that will collapse in court. Genuine Bnei Torah deserve legal certainty and the ability to study with dignity.”

At the same time, he says, those who are not learning full time should contribute in some capacity to the country’s defense or national service.

“For most of Israel’s history, some version of this balance existed,” he says. “After October 7, it became clear that the future of the Charedi community and the future of Israel cannot be separated.”

Leitner himself served in a classified technological unit after the Hamas attacks.

“I wanted to contribute,” he says. “But I also saw firsthand how unprepared the army was to receive Charedim.”

He believes responsibility lies on both sides.

“It is easy to blame only the Charedi community. The army also failed for years to build frameworks that respected Charedi religious life.”

He points to the Chashmonaim Unit as proof that appropriate military service is possible but says many more such frameworks are needed.

“We cannot ask parents to send their sons into environments that undermine everything they have spent eighteen years building.”

Torah and Service

Leitner rejects the notion that Torah study and national contribution are mutually exclusive.

“If someone is truly learning seriously, we should protect that. If someone serves, we should protect his Yiddishkeit there as well.

“The goal should never be to challenge a young man’s mesorah, but to allow him to contribute while preserving it.”

Education and Employment

Another pillar of Leitner’s platform is expanding educational opportunity.

He argues that many Charedi young men who eventually enter the workforce begin years behind because they were denied basic skills in English and mathematics.

“I reject the idea that all Gedolim oppose these subjects,” he says. “Many support them.

“A Charedi child should remain fully Charedi while also having opportunities later in life. Those goals are not contradictory.”

He summarizes his philosophy simply:

“Charedi identity must be preserved, and opportunity must be expanded.”

Rabbinic Support

One criticism repeatedly leveled at new Charedi parties is the absence of endorsements from leading Rabbanim.

Leitner says the relationship between rabbinic leadership and politics has become more complicated than many assume.

“Over the years, some politicians and donors have become so influential that pressure sometimes runs in the opposite direction,” he says. “I don’t want to discuss specific cases, but there have been instances where rabbanim faced political pressure.”

He says Hatzibur HaCharedi already has the backing of numerous communities and Rabbanim, although some have chosen not to announce their support publicly.

“I won’t use Rabbanim as political trophies,” he says. “many have privately encouraged us but are not yet comfortable speaking publicly because of the current atmosphere.”

Can the Party Cross the Threshold?

Some commentators have questioned whether the party can enter the Knesset.

Leitner rejects suggestions that a vote for Hatzibur HaCharedi would be wasted.

“Independent polling in April showed support equivalent to about six-and-a-half seats,” he says. “That is above the electoral threshold.”

He also claims the party appeals beyond the traditional Charedi electorate.

“We’re attracting support from Charedi, traditional, Religious Zionist and even some secular Israelis who believe the relationship between Israel and the Charedi community needs a new approach.”

Why Is Israel Different From America?

Leitner says one of his inspirations came from observing Charedi communities in the United States.

“There, people remain deeply committed to Torah while also working, building businesses and supporting their families. No one assumes that having a profession makes someone less committed to Judaism.”

He believes Israeli society has become unnecessarily polarized.

“People are told they must belong entirely to one camp or another. There’s very little room for someone who wants to remain completely Charedi while also gaining the tools needed to earn a respectable living.”

He notes that many American Charedim who immigrated to Israel have supported his movement because they are familiar with a more balanced model.

“But many Israeli Charedim want exactly the same thing,” he says. “They don’t want to leave the Charedi world. They simply want to support their families with dignity.”

A Personal Journey

Leitner says his views are shaped by personal experience.

“I married young, and by my early twenties I realized I needed to earn a living. I was starting from scratch. I had to improve my English and mathematics, learn new skills and eventually entered the high-tech industry.”

While grateful for that opportunity, he believes the process should not have been so difficult.

“We need to make that path much easier for the next generation,” he says. “Parents who want to give their children both a strong Torah education and the practical tools to support a family should be able to do so without feeling they’ve compromised their Charedi identity.”

For Leitner, that vision lies at the heart of Hatzibur HaCharedi.

“The people we’re speaking for have always existed,” he says. “The question in October is whether they’ll finally have somewhere to go.