Brig.-Gen. (res.) Ofer Winter, the chairman of the People of Israel party, fired back at Yitzhak Goldknopf, head of United Torah Judaism's haredi (ultra-Orthodox) faction Agudat Yisrael, on Monday after he stated that UTJ would demand a full military draft exemption for any student of a yeshiva.
"Not everyone who wears black and white studies Torah," Winter, who comes from a national religious background, said.
"There will be no government without regulating the status of those who serve. Our commitment to them is paramount."
Winter also called for Goldknopf to stop "deceiving the public," saying that "this system harms first and foremost the true Torah students."
In the future, Winter stated, "Haredim will integrate into the IDF and the national service. Those who contribute to the state will receive. Those who serve more will receive much more. And those who do not serve, do not study, and do not contribute will not enjoy benefits.
"What was - will not be," he concluded.
Winter releases People of Israel Knesset slate ahead of elections
Earlier on Monday, Winter released his party’s slate, submitting it at the Knesset along with other parties ahead of the October elections.
The submission of the list closed the door to a merger with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party (RZP). Smotrich had called on Winter to join his alliance with Zehut party leader Moshe Feiglin.
The choice not to merge also appeared to defy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been pushing small parties to merge to avoid losing votes from the right-wing bloc if they fail to cross the electoral threshold.
Keshet Neev and Tobias Holcman contributed to this report.