In an unusually candid appeal to English-speaking chareidi voters in Eretz Yisroel, United Torah Judaism MK Yitzchok Pindrus has acknowledged that his party failed to accomplish its central objective of protecting the status of yeshiva students, while warning that refusing to vote for UTJ in the upcoming elections would only further endanger the future of the chareidi community.

In a letter addressed directly to English-speaking chareidi communities, Pindrus openly accepted responsibility for the failure to resolve the military conscription crisis, describing the outcome as a serious disappointment that demands acknowledgment rather than excuses.

“Let’s speak openly. When this government was formed, we had one central challenge before us: securing the status of yeshiva students and ensuring their ability to continue dedicating their lives to Torah learning,” Pindrus wrote.

“I look you in the eye and say this plainly: We didn’t succeed. There are valid explanations for this – the courts, the legal advisors to the government and the Knesset – but at the end of the day, the responsibility still rests with us.”

Pindrus went further, declaring that the party must recognize its failure to deliver on the issue that had been at the heart of its political mission.

“We did not succeed in achieving the central objective for which we exist: securing the status of those who dedicate their lives to Torah learning. Public responsibility requires us to acknowledge that we did not succeed and to learn from it.”

The letter comes amid growing frustration within segments of the chareidi community over the unresolved draft crisis, ongoing legal proceedings, and enforcement measures targeting yeshiva students who have not reported for military service.

Pindrus acknowledged that the disappointment has prompted some voters to consider staying home on Election Day, while others have begun openly encouraging voters to withhold their support from United Torah Judaism.

“I hear the voices of disappointment and despair. Some have expressed indifference toward the upcoming elections and say they do not intend to vote at all. Others are calling on people not to vote for United Torah Judaism.”

Despite recognizing those frustrations, Pindrus argued that punishing UTJ at the ballot box would ultimately harm the very community whose interests the party is attempting to protect.

To illustrate his argument, he related a pointed joke about a man who was offered the opportunity to make a wish, with the condition that his rival would receive twice whatever he requested.

After considering the offer, the man made an astonishing request.

“Take out one of my eyes.”

When others expressed disbelief that he would waste such an opportunity, the man explained his reasoning.

“That’s true. But this way, he’ll lose both of his!”

Pindrus used the story to warn voters against allowing their anger at UTJ to produce an outcome that would be even more damaging to their own interests.

“Not voting for United Torah Judaism will not bring about a solution. On the contrary, it will only deepen the harm,” he wrote.

The MK maintained that the political and judicial challenges facing the chareidi community extend well beyond the question of military conscription, warning that reduced chareidi representation in the Knesset could jeopardize funding for educational institutions and other essential community services.

“We have already seen during this past term that the legal establishment and the courts are not stopping at the issue of military conscription. They seek to undermine our kindergartens, our Talmud Torahs, and our schools. As far as they are concerned, the Chareidi community is not entitled to the same rights as everyone else.”

Pindrus emphasized that chareidi lawmakers have spent much of the outgoing Knesset term battling to preserve government funding for institutions serving the community, often facing opposition from the attorney general and other legal authorities.

“These are not empty warnings. Throughout the past term, we fought for every budget allocated to the Chareidi community, for every shekel that Chareidi children are rightfully entitled to receive. In many cases, we succeeded, despite the opposition of the Attorney General. But what will happen if Chareidi representation in the Knesset becomes smaller?!”

The letter reflects the increasingly difficult political position confronting UTJ as it seeks to retain the support of voters who are deeply dissatisfied with the party’s inability to secure a lasting legislative arrangement protecting yeshiva students from conscription.

Pindrus also warned that opponents of the chareidi community are openly seeking to undermine its ability to maintain its traditional way of life, portraying the upcoming election as a struggle over the community’s very future in Eretz Yisroel.

“The plans of those who oppose the Chareidi community are out in the open. They even want to take away our right to vote. In the current election campaign, they are seeking to challenge our very right to exist as a community.”

He urged voters to respond with confidence and pride, invoking the words of Rav Avraham Ravitz zt”l, the founding chairman of Degel HaTorah.

“Our response must be to stand tall with Jewish pride. We need not apologize, nor do we need to ask anyone’s permission. As the first chairman of Degel HaTorah, Rabbi Avraham Ravitz zt”l, famously put it: ‘We exist because we exist!’”

Pindrus concluded by emphasizing that voting for UTJ represents, in his view, an affirmation of the chareidi community’s right to preserve its values, institutions, and identity.

“By voting for United Torah Judaism, we declare that we have every right to live as Chareidi Jews, and that we are proud of who we are.”

“I need your vote. United Torah Judaism needs your vote. The entire Chareidi community needs it, so that we can continue fighting for our children, our institutions, and our way of life.”

He ended the letter with a final declaration: “Because we have every right to be Chareidi.”

The appeal comes just days before Israel’s October 27 election, as UTJ confronts dissatisfaction among voters over the failure to pass legislation protecting yeshiva students from military conscription. Reports have indicated that some communities traditionally aligned with the party have considered withholding their votes in protest.

Pindrus has been addressing those concerns directly in recent days. At a gathering in Yerushalayim this week, he faced pointed questions from chareidi voters who challenged the party’s record and demanded to know why they should support UTJ again after its failure to resolve the draft crisis.

During that discussion, Pindrus maintained that the party would refuse to enter the next governing coalition without an agreement addressing the conscription issue. He has made similar statements in recent interviews, describing a draft arrangement as a fundamental condition for participating in any future government.

His letter to English-speaking chareidim reflects that broader campaign to restore confidence among disillusioned voters, combining an unusually explicit admission of political failure with a warning about the consequences of diminished chareidi representation.

For Pindrus, the message is that the disappointment over the outgoing government’s failures is justified, but withdrawing electoral support from UTJ would leave the community with even less influence over the decisions that will shape its future.

{Matzav.com}