Dr. Aliza Bloch of the Blue and White party addressed questions about her party's chances of crossing the electoral threshold during an interview at the Arutz Sheva-Israel National News conference, warning that a victory by either political bloc could bring Israel to the brink of civil war.
Asked when Blue and White would withdraw from the race, Bloch said the question presented an opportunity to consider what truly matters and where the country is headed.
"It is clear to me that if, God forbid, either bloc wins, we will be on the brink of civil war," she said. "In many ways, I feel that Blue and White is like the child with his finger in the dike, saying: Stop, the writing is on the wall."
Bloch continued, "I am genuinely afraid. Anyone who has ever studied history knows that the possibility of the kingdom falling apart is real. I feel that we are at a crucial moment in Israel's history, and we have chosen a very specific side of history."
Asked about the failure of efforts to unite political forces, leaving Blue and White to run independently, Bloch replied, "We are alone, but strong."
She described encountering Israelis across the country with sharply opposing political views. Some tell her, "First we'll bring him down, and then you can have whatever you want," while others fear that a left-wing victory would lead to the country's disintegration and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"And I'm busy telling everyone: Guys, don't get confused. The enemy isn't here. My enemy is Hamas. My enemy is Hezbollah," she said.
Bloch rejected the suggestion that her party was relying on protest votes.
"I'm not counting on protest votes. I'm counting on people voting based on values and responsibility," she said. "I don't believe in magicians. I don't believe in any magician who claims that everything will be perfect if only he wins. I believe in partnership, hard work, and creating a framework that makes dialogue possible."
Asked about Naftali Bennett's remarks suggesting that Netanyahu could serve in his government, remarks he later walked back, Bloch declined to comment directly.
"I made a commitment to myself that even though I'm entering politics, I won't talk about other people," she said.
She nevertheless observed that Bennett had immediately faced pressure to boycott and exclude Netanyahu following his remarks.
Bloch also recalled the national day of remembrance marking the October 7 massacre, which had taken place about a week earlier.
"Hamas made absolutely no distinction between the Kaplan protesters from Kibbutz Be'eri, the religious Zionists from Ofakim, and the secular young people, my own former students, who were at Nova. Why do we need another reminder?" she asked.
According to Bloch, the energy devoted to fighting between political blocs comes at the expense of issues that truly matter, including education, Israel's peripheral communities, and those wounded in recent years.
She pointed to more than 80,000 people affected in recent years who, she said, urgently need care and support.
Asked whether her political campaign was a long-term undertaking, Bloch replied, "This isn't a one-time event. As I've said, I don't believe in peace now or in the Messiah now. I believe in deep, sustained work, and the Israeli public deserves leadership that focuses solely on its needs."
At the conclusion of the interview, Bloch addressed the religious Zionist community directly.
"I feel that today I represent the message of religious Zionism. What I'm saying today is what I said when I was a 16-year-old youth movement counselor, what I said as a youth movement coordinator, and what we were raised to believe," she said.
"We were raised to take responsibility. We were raised to build bridges. We were raised on the values of the people of Israel, the Land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel."
"The Land of Israel includes Kiryat Shmona, Beit Shemesh, and Tel Aviv. And so I say to everyone in the religious Zionist community: At last, you have a political home."