The Reservists Party said on Wednesday that the Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is pressuring the Registrar of Political Parties Unit to disqualify the party’s name, blocking its final stage of registration and preventing the party from beginning official fundraising.
The party, led by former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, is made up largely of IDF reservists. It registered in September, stating that its main aim was to ensure equal conscription in Israel.
The Registrar of Political Parties Unit, which operates under the Justice Ministry, headed by Yariv Levin (Likud), has been delaying the party’s final approval for more than a month, the Reservists Party said.
The party added that, according to the law, the registrar must issue a decision of final approval within 30 days for the party, and has not done so.
Likud declined to comment when asked about the matter by The Jerusalem Post.
Justice Minister Levin’s office said claims of the minister’s involvement were “fake news.”
Reasons to believe Likud is working behind scenes to obstruct party’s registration
Yoav Adomi, one of the party’s founders and a reserve deputy battalion commander, told the Post that there was reason to believe Likud was working behind the scenes to obstruct the party’s registration, saying they had “sources to back the claim.”
The party argued that the delay in approving its name prevents it from “competing on an equal and democratic footing,” as legal and financial restrictions remain in place until registration is complete.
Hendel said that “Likud’s petition is a direct continuation of the sabotage campaign that the ruling party is waging against the reservists in the Knesset and the government.”
“The ruling party, which frequently talks about the ‘deep state’ and the judiciary as an excuse for all their failures, is now using the same methods to undermine democratic competition. They have opened yet another front against the Reservists,” he added.
The party said what was occurring was an “unprecedented attempt” to silence criticism and undermine fair political competition, particularly against a party that seeks to represent Israelis who serve in the IDF.
The Reservists’ statement comes amid heightened tensions over the issue of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) conscription, as a new outline for the law, being led by Likud MK Boaz Bismuth, was released last week.
The Reservists Party has publicly spoken against the bill, leading a campaign against it.
Critics of the revised bill argue that it fails to enforce haredi conscription, stalls time, and attempts to serve as a political solution as the IDF continues to lack manpower.
Some main changes in the bill that have led to criticism include a broader definition of who is considered haredi, softening sanctions on draft evaders under the age of 23, and ending sanctions on draft evaders at the age of 26.