[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]
Degel Hatorah faction leader MK Moshe Gafni announces that if Labor party leader Yitzchak Herzog succeeds in forming a coalition his party would join with him. Gafni told the Knesset Channel that he would recommend Herzog to receive the presidential mandate after elections, which means Mr. Herzog would be given the opportunity to form a coalition government.
For the chareidim it is not about right-wing politics, as Gafni explains, telling the Knesset Channel Yahadut Hatorah is heading into elections concerned with social and economic issues. He states that if Herzog can form a government Yahadut Hatorah would join in. in actuality, Herzog’s socialist hashkafa is more in line with social economic vision of Yahadut Hatorah than a Likud-led government, which favors the capitalist model.
Gafni used the interview to send a message to Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett. “I don’t forgive Bennett for the cuts to the tzibur, the money that went to Zionist mosdos which are bathing in money. They should have been Menchlich towards us and not act as they did” he explains.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
who wrote this article? akuperma?
All the socialists (left), or for that matter the nationalists (right) need to do is offer to give up the idea of throwing yeshiva students in jail for not serving in the army. A left-wing coalition could include the non-zionist Arab parties (who also don’t want to be drafted). Indeed much of the left in Israel does not like army service and goes to great lengths to avoid military service – so abolishing conscription would appeal to the socialist’s base as well.
Likud, Bayit Yehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu are probably making a big mistake in making the “war on the hareidim” the “ikar” of their alliance.
Extremely Doubtful that Rav Steinman would tolerate it.
עולם הפוך ראיתי
If Gafne was even half serious ,my previous respect for his fighting spirit goes down the drain
Labor supported everything that Yesh Atid did,with the exception of the the Giyus Sanctions.
To support Labor R”l,would filing chapter 11
I guess all the chariedim care about is thier money and that’s why they would go with the left parties,
I think personally the only hope for Eretz Yisroel is for the right wing parties to be in control and not cozy up to international pressure.
” Zionist mosdos which are bathing in money”
Zionist institutions have been hit by budget cuts, too. In America Lapid would be a conservative Republican.
“Takes one to know one””
When finances was in Gafni’s hand there was zero support for what he calls “Zionist” yeshivos or Mosdos.
If Gafni expects a warm welcome from Livni, Lapid, Stern & Meretz leaders he is in for a surprise. Harsh sanctions towards Bnei Yeshiva will continue & worsen & maybe a few drops towards children payments may improve.
UTJ voters are more right wing in spirit & Betar, Kiryat Sefer residents will not find the Left’s peace initiatives workable. BewareMK Gafne entering the lion’s den.
Oy vey the tzadikal
Either quite politics our shave Your beard
The “socialist” agenda, of taking from others to give yourself is more to his liking. Very nice, forcing people to give him more and more Tzeddakah.
Leaving that issue aside, what of the real Torah issues, like supporting every toeiva imaginable. That’s what being in the government with Labor entails.
The bottom line it seems, is that Torah really isn’t the important thing, giving our Land, that Hashem gave us to the most despicable pere adom people imaginable is also ok, just give us the money, consequences be damned.
Gafne is just showing why the average Israeli does not want Chareidi politicians in the government and that includes many Frum people who feel the same way.
So the disgusting approach of claiming that everyone who disagrees with him is against Torah is just a sham. If Torah was really the issue, they couldn’t possibly support Labor.
Whatever happened to Lo Tikom veLoTitor?
If the Israeli hareidim were primarily interested in money, they would be demanding the right to serve in the army. Refusing to serve in the IDF is very strongly against their economic interests. Opposing conscription is what is for all purposes a miltarized state is an act that displays a highly principled approach to politics.
Most of the left parties voted against conscription or abstained (while saying they supported the idea in theory). It wouldn’t be a big jump for them to oppose conscription. The right parties would be happy to exempt hareidim if they could tie significant benefits to army service (currently restricted as discriminatory against non-veterancs). Both camps are persuadable to end the war on hareidim, and Gafni knows that. The hiloni politicians may hate hareidim and despise Torah, but they love power more.
Likud, Bayit Yehudi and Yisrael Beiteinu are probably making a big mistake in making the “war on the hareidim” the “ikar” of their alliance.
This is categorically false. Lapid was forcing those issues, a few of which had some merit (at least the financial side). It was Bennett that countered Lapid at every chance and restored some funding to Yeshivos.
Netanyahu already said he was against jail for Yeshiva students.
Lapid got populist support because of the way Chareidi politicians behave and the manner in which they deal with issues. Netanyahu had to include him in the coalition because he had 19 seats. He also set up Lapid for a fall. That seems to have worked, though he may have taken himself down with Lapid.
A pillar of every democratic society is “benefits to participants in the country’s armed forces”.
Goes to show that “Haredim” especially the parties are not about Torah but about $. Everyone feels and knows that. They only cause a Hillul Hashem in one of the biggest ways imaginable.
This is a play to not allow the election to be about the hareidim.