Shas leader Eli Yishai is continuing efforts to form a religious bloc. As such, he is scheduled to meet with Kiryat Arba’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Dov Lior Shlita, a prominent posek in the dati leumi community.
Despite calls from Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu and Naftali Bennett that Shas apology for disparaging remarks made during the election campaign against Bayit HaYehudi, Shas continues efforts towards achdus without apologizing, at least not publicly.
Shas’ fear is that if Bayit HaYehudi does indeed go with Yesh Atid it will result in chareidim being omitted from the coalition. Yishai will be traveling to Kiryat Arba to meet with Rav Lior in his office. In a parallel effort, a meeting is taking place this week between Rabbi Chaim Druckman Shlita and Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita. Rav Druckman, another prominent posek in the dati leumi community is very close to Bayit HaYehudi leader Naftali Bennett. It appears the pressure is being applied by Shas to turn Bennett away from Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and go with the chareidi bloc.
Walla News quotes Bayit HaYeyudi officials saying “We have never been this sought after by the chareidim. Suddenly, after referring to us as ‘goyim’ we are beloved to them and they are chasing after us and our rabbonim.”
MK Uri Ariel is acting as go-between with the dati leumi rabbonim in the public’s eye, but behind the scenes is veteran National Religious Party official Natan (Nus) Natanson, a resident of Yishuv Shilo and a former director-general of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Natanson is viewed as persona non-grata by some members of the political community due to his conviction as a member of the Gush Emunim Jewish Underground of the 1980s. Today, Natanson serves as the head of the Binyamin Regional Council Religious Council.
Natanson played a pivotal role in bringing about the union between Ichud HaLeumi, Ariel’s faction and Bayit HaYehudi.
On Tuesday 25 Shevat 5773 Bennett posted a message on his Facebook page that the chareidim may not continue learning without learning, studying and working, calling it “immoral and unsustainable”.
It would appear clear from his statement that if left to him, he will opt to go with Yesh Atid and its 19 seats in place of the chareidim and their 18 seats. Nevertheless, Shas is continuing efforts to compel a more chareidi-friendly reality in the 19th Knesset.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Habayit Hayehudi campaigned on its commitment to bring about real change on the ‘share the burden’ issue. In the eyes of its consituents (and of the vast majority of Israeli Jews whether religious, masorati or chiloni) this is a truly critical issue; they will not accept another ‘yisrablof’ (sham) solution. So it is not a question of choosing sides for them, it is about reaching a real working solution. The best way to do that is to work with all the parties and Bennet has made it clear that that is what he intends to do.
But it should be crystal clear that even if the charedim should suddenly smother them with love, the Bayit Hayehudi will not support a continuation of the current state of affairs. Nor, on the other hand, will they allow harm to befall the true learners of Torah, including charedi learners, even if the charedim pour curses and insults on their heads.
So, if this is merely an attempt to sway Habayit Hayehudi from its position – it is futile. But if it is the honest opening of channels, to reach a true solution acceptable to all – wonderful.
Natanson is viewed as persona non-grata by some members of the political community due to his conviction as a member of the Gush Emunim Jewish Underground of the 1980s.
Why would fingers point in his direction? We got plently of MK who have convicted, almost convicted or about to be convicted.
i would hope that bayit yehudi is not another yesh atid but a bayit yehudi to voters thats its purpose with a larger perspective not a limited one
Yagel Libi (#1) – you put things perfectly, thanks! I think the chareidi parties spent too much of their time bashing everyone else and now they’re grabbing at straws. They really should have spent their time over the past 2 years helping create a new version of the Tal Law. Instead they flat out refused and this is where it got them. It would have been beneficial to them to accept the fact that the current situation is not sustainable and would not continue. That’s NOT an insult (or “slamming the chareidi tzibur”), just the reality.
It would have made much more sense for the chareidi parties to have worked toward creating army and sheirut leumi programs that are more comfortable for their tzibur. Instead, they absolutely refused to even talk about the issue. The chareidi leadership could have worked to make chariedi chesed programs into acceptable sheirut leumi services. They could have worked to make even bigger and better programs in the IDF and in the country. Alas, they continue to fight for an unsustainable “status quo.”
Today I read an article in the chareidi newspaper complaining about the potholes in our city. They want the municipality to provide the services but they also don’t want to pay the municipal taxes that cover those services. That’s the definition of unsustainable.