What Is the Charedi View on Voting in Israeli Elections?
At first glance, it may seem contradictory: the Charedi community often voices strong opposition to the ideology behind the secular State, yet it turns out to vote in high numbers. Why?
The answer lies in the distinction between participating in a system and endorsing it.
We Vote to Protect Torah, Not to Legitimize the State
Gedolei Yisrael have been crystal clear: Voting is not an act of approval. It is an act of hishtadlus, a way of ensuring that Torah Jewry has a voice in decisions that affect our communities—yeshivos, kashrus, Shabbos, education, army exemptions, and family purity.
As Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l stated:
**"Our participation in the elections is not to express faith in the system, but to prevent those who hate Torah from gaining control over Torah life."**¹
Likewise, the Steipler Gaon, Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky zt”l, ruled firmly:
**“We are obligated to vote—not because we recognize the government as ideal, but because this is how we protect our mosdos haTorah and our children.”**²
Rav Shmuel Wosner zt”l called voting in Israeli elections “a mitzvah of pikuach nefesh” in its own right, because of the spiritual danger posed by anti-religious legislation.³
This has been the consistent view of virtually every major Charedi Gadol since the founding of the State—those who chose to participate in elections saw it as a defensive act, not a political one.
A Legacy of Reluctant Participation
In the early years of the State, Rav Aharon Kotler zt”l was deeply opposed to joining the Israeli government in any official capacity. He feared it would be seen as legitimizing a secular state born from Zionist ideology.
Yet when it came to voting in Knesset elections, he encouraged Agudas Yisrael and similar parties to run—not to take part in the government, but to ensure the Charedi community had protection.
**"Just as one may walk through a minefield if it is the only path to saving a life, so too we vote, even in a corrupt system, because the alternative is spiritual destruction."**⁴
Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l echoed this view, saying:
**"Our participation is an act of protection—so that the Torah community does not suffer harm from those who do not understand our way of life."**⁵
Distinguishing Between Voting and Zionism
This point is critical: Charedi voting is not Zionist participation.
Zionism, in the eyes of Charedi Gedolim, sought to replace Torah identity with national identity—a secular Jewishness unbound from mitzvos or the Ribbono Shel Olam.
Voting, by contrast, is a reluctant tool to prevent spiritual damage.
Rav Yitzchok Hutner zt”l famously explained:
**“We are not voting for Medinas Yisrael. We are voting for the right to remain Jews loyal to Sinai, not Herzl.”**⁶
In fact, not voting would be tantamount to abandoning the battlefield. Secular parties and anti-religious movements have long used elections to advance agendas that would weaken Torah education, conscript yeshiva bochurim, and undermine kedushas ha’am.
As Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l said:
**“In every generation we face new forms of gezeiros. Today, they are legal and political. So we fight back with ballots, not with bullets.”**⁷
When Gedolim Say Not to Vote
It should be noted that not all Torah leaders supported participation in elections. Certain segments of the Eidah Chareidis and Neturei Karta reject voting entirely, viewing it as implicit recognition of a secular State.
But even those groups are consistent in their logic: Torah is supreme, and when political involvement would undermine that message, they abstain.
For the vast majority of Charedi Gedolim, however, non-participation equals surrender, and surrender is not an option.
Voting Is Not a Contradiction—It’s Hishtadlus
Charedi hashkafah teaches that the Ribbono Shel Olam runs the world. But He also demands that we act within the bounds of hishtadlus—responsible effort.
Just as we lock our doors to prevent theft, or buy health insurance without doubting Hashem’s power, so too we vote—not because we place our trust in politicians, but because this is how we protect Torah values in a political world.
Final Thought: From the Ballot Box to the Beis Medrash
In truth, the Charedi response to modernity is not retreat—it is strategic engagement. When elections are held, we show up—not because we believe the system is holy, but because Torah is holy, and it needs protection.
Voting is not about embracing the State.
It is about defending our right to live a life of Torah within the boundaries of halachah.
It is not a statement of belief.
It is a statement of resistance.
Sources & Footnotes
- Rav Elazar M.M. Shach, Michtavim u’Maamarim, Vol. 1, Letter 112
- Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler), Karyana D’Iggarta, Vol. 2, Letter 56
- Rav Shmuel Wosner, Shevet HaLevi, Vol. 6, Siman 198
- Rav Aharon Kotler, cited in Chayei Aharon, p. 346
- Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, Divrei Chachamim on elections, 1996; also see testimonies in Maran HaRav Elyashiv, Vol. 3
- Rav Yitzchok Hutner, Pachad Yitzchak, Igros U’Kesavim, Letter 128
- Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, Kitzur Michtavim, 2004 Election Edition