Shas leader Eli Yishai is bracing to relocate to his new seat in Knesset, from a prestigious spot among the members of cabinet to a seat among MKs as a member of opposition.
Speaking with Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet on Thursday morning 3 Nissan 5773, the outgoing minister of the interior spoke of his planned “Fierce opposition”, promising to do everything possible to topple the administration as quickly as possible.
Senior Likud negotiator Moshe Leon admitted that he broke off talks with the chareidi parties after it become clear that Yair Lapid would not enter a coalition with chareidim, and Naftali Bennett was unwavering in his loyalty to negotiating partner Yesh Atid. As such, Leon felt talks with the chareidim would be less than genuine since he realized there was no hope of closing a deal for as long as Bennett remained loyal to Lapid.
Yishai stated with confidence that the incoming administration would be short-lived, adding it is too late to think of bringing the chareidim on board for they will not step in to save the prime minister when the situation begins to crumble around him. Yishai concluded that the stain of the incoming administration’s actions is a permanent one, one that will be remembered for ever for today, “We see the true face of the hate, of Yair Lapid.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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12 Responses
Permanent in politics tends to be very effemeral.
A lot will depend on whether Likud and Bayit Yehudi go through with the plan for serious punishments (more than loss of government funding) for those who learn Torah rather than become soldiers. It will also depend on whether the new coalition pushes through major cutbacks of the welfare state, as they have promised. There will be strong pressure on both Likud and Bayit Yehudi not to permanently alienate Shas and the Ashkenazi hareidim.
Then one has to see if Shas want to ally with Labor and the Arabs. If so, the “new left” consisting of Labor, Arabs and Hareidim – parties united by support of the welfare state and opposition to conscription (if Labor decides to embrace the concept) – is a serious consider to the “right” in future elections.
It will be interesting.
Pot, meet Kettle…
an Israeli Yid
It serves ZERO purpose to blame Netanyahu and the clear truth is that this is NOT the government Netanyahu wanted.
If there were elections today, not positive that SHAS will surface above the new threshold. Their negativity, name calling and lack of achdus (among themselves)will push voters back to Likud and Bayit Yehudi.
Chareidim refuse to even CONSIDER any opinions other than their own. They have only themselves to blame. Stop bashing Netanyahu
I feel as if something is missing from this story, i.e., that a governing coalition has been formed that will be the governing coalition, that it will include Likud, Yesh Atid and Bayit Yehudi, and that it will not include any Chareidi parties. It seems as if YWN has overlooked that important fact in its reporting of Israeli post-election politics.
#3 I agree, Bibi wanted the hareidi parties from the start, even knowing Bennett’s bizarre insistence on their exclusion (in favor of the anti-settlements, anti-Torah Yesh Atid) he fought for weeks to bring them in.
I highly doubt Yishai was attacking Bibi personally. For a start, they are very close friends and have been for many years. Also, Shas knows that it could never ally itself with the left as the left will never be popular enough to form a government in Israel again. Yesh Atid doesn’t want Shas (or any from the hareidi tzibur), Bayit Yehudi doesn’t either. That leaves Likud and that’s why I feel any condemnation of Bibi by Shas is overblown by the media.
In fact, far more so do I see condemnation of Bennett from Gedolei Yisrael (such as Rav Shteinman today) than anyone else. With Lapid we know who we are dealing with, but Bennett conned us all.
Just be careful not to burn your bridges. You might just need Likud next time around.
The Lapid family is a disgrace! What did you expect from Yair, when his own Father, Tommy, according to some, was not even Jewish!(Tommy’s Mother had a reform coversion)
The whining of a sore loser…how becoming
“אין אדם נתפס בשעת צערו”
Re: Breslover ” Shas knows that it could never ally itself with the left as the left will never be popular enough to form a government in Israel again. ”
Not true. In terms of economic issues, Shas is a natural fit with the left wing parties. The left has been moving away from conscription, in part since they include many Arabs. Once you have the prospect of the rabbinate controlled by people who don’t like you, Shas will see the virtue of having individual autonomy respected. And the hareidi rabbanim have always been very much doves. Especially if abolition of conscription is the big issue, a haredi-socialist-Arab alliance becomes very realistic. If they go through with plans to have massive fines designed to bankrupt the yeshivos and talmidim and rabbanim, and cutting off social security benefits (no health insurance? banned from most affordable housing?), there may be a big backlash and ending conscription may become the big issue.
A coalition of socialists, hareidim and Arabs would be only slightly less than 60, meaning it is very competitive. The hareidi presence will make it possible for the Arabs to join a socialist led coalition, and it isn’t impossible that Shas could end up leading a coalition at some point.
The local elections inJeruslaem will be interesting. If Shas and the Ashkenazi Hareidi work together, and get some Arab support (increasingly on the agenda now that the nationalist parties have declared war on the Hareidi community), it could be a very momentous election.
And the threat of the above may force Likud and Bayit Yehudi to reconsider the “war” on the hareidim.
Lapid thrives running against the chareidim. But once the chareidim are out of power he will be the focus. By overpromisiing on the middle-class squeezes and an alignment with the settlers, he has managed to alianate part of his base. He may start now with a count of thirty -.his 19 plus canabalizing the carcass of kadima and Livni and maybe some from labor and Likud. in three years he will be an also ran.