Bayit Yehudi leader Minister Naftali Bennett has responded to the motzei Shabbos verbal assault from Rosh Yeshivat Porat Yosef Rabbi Shalom Cohen Shlita, who called the dati leumi community “Amalek”. Bennett opted to respond via his Facebook page, beginning with “You should be ashamed!”
“At this moment, thousands of kippot srugot are on the border from Syria to Egypt from the level of battalion commander to regular soldier and they are spitting blood to protect the rabbi.
“In the coming days there will be a memorial for the fallen of the Second Lebanon War, for the secular and kippot srugot alike. Some were cited for their meritorious actions. Does the rav refer to them as Amalek too?
“At this very moment, thousands of knitted kippot sit with their rabbis and teachers and they are studying Torah in hesder yeshivot or yeshiva gedola. At a later date, they too will serve in the IDF. Does they rav call them Amalek too or non Jews?
“Bayit Yehudi has been working around the clock to minimize the blow to the Torah world and there has been a measure of success. (I also did everything possible even while in China). The Bayit Yehudi also brought much success to the share the burden plan towards making it more balanced for chareidim and recognizing limud Torah as a national value. This too is Amalek?
“That is not all. The rabbi made mention of ‘Druckman and the others of Amalek’. He of course was referring to Rabbi Druckman, the Israel Prize recipient, Rosh Yeshivat Ohr Etzion and the same rabbi who recently celebrated his 80th birthday in the presence of the prime minister along with thousands of graduates of Bnei Akiva yeshivot. They too are Amalek?
“On erev Tisha B’Av I call on all chareidi leaders and politicians from Rav Ovadia, who sat at his side when the comments were made. To all of you, even though you are not in the government and even though we have political arguments to reject and condemn these statements. I ask and expect that this will occur this morning, immediately. I will not permit the continuation of the incitement campaign against the dati leumi tzibur.
“I am proud to be among the kippot srugot!”
Bayit Yehudi Minister Uri Ariel also commented on the remarks of the rosh yeshiva, expressing outrage on the content and timing of the rav’s words.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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19 Responses
Let these bozos first stop attempting to pry Torah Jews away from Yeshivos before they start worrying about comments a RY made.
He’s 100% right, and I too am proud to be one of the kippot srugot!
Interestingly the only thing I have ever agreed with this man on. Hmm.
So all of harav Ovadia’s kippa-sruga-wearing grandchildren are Amalekim? Hmm. How, according to the learned rosh yeshiva, did that happen?
#1 Gedolei Yisrael (Litvish/Chassidic/Mizrachi) are ALWAYS right, no matter what they say or do. Who are you to talk against them? You should be ashamed of yourself!
#2 “Bayit Yehudi has been working around the clock to minimize the blow to the Torah world and there has been a measure of success.”
Reminds me of the arsonist who intentionally set fire to a huge building and then yelled to people to extinguish it…
#3 “The Bayit Yehudi also brought much success to the share the burden plan towards making it more balanced for chareidim and recognizing limud Torah as a national value. This too is Amalek?”
Mochel tovot! Yes, saving 1,800 Yeshiva students from thousands is Amalek!
#4 “He of course was referring to Rabbi Druckman”.
No, he was referring to the “Bayit Yehudi leader”, that’s you, Naftali Bennett, who’s out to destroy the Torah.
#5 “Rabbi Druckman, the Israel Prize recipient, Rosh Yeshivat Ohr Etzion and the same rabbi who recently celebrated his 80th birthday in the presence of the prime minister along with thousands of graduates of Bnei Akiva yeshivot. They too are Amalek?”
Rabbi Druckman converted 50,000! goyim who have no intentions of keeping the Torah law. What is that supposed to mean?
#6 Daati Leumi are constantly showing, esp recently that what the Gedolim keep saying about them for over a century, is very accurate.
#7 A so-called Religious Zionist who lives with a secular wife should be ashamed! He surely lost his chezkat kashrut.
#8 It’s not surprising that Bennett is fuming. The truth hurts.
These were obviously incendiary words and I would expect Bennett to respond the wAy he did. But really, there is no love lost between Shas and Bayit Hayihudi at this time and one can expect the invective to get worse before it gets better.
Chuckie Scwab: so, in effect, you agree with (Rabbi) Cohen? Shame on you!
Rabbi Cohen shlit”a goes in the footsteps of our forefathers.
Avraham Avinu had a brother-in-law/nephew Lot. When Lot associated with the Sodomites and dwelled among them, Avraham Avinu the ish hachesed told Lot, hipared na me’alei, get away from me.
Bennett’s associating with Lapid causes the same reaction.
Satmar rabbi says Zionism is Amelak in our days.
The cheradie leaders will be silent. They cannot even say nothing about the attacks on the on the from idf members
“The Bayit Yehudi also brought much success to the share the burden plan towards making it more balanced for chareidim and recognizing limud Torah as a national value.”
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Hey Mr. Bennett, its erev Tisha Bi’Av. Please stop cracking jokes!
Chuck- you are the BOZO no one owns the Haredim anything. You are going against the true ways of the Torah and disguising yourselves around the Torah. Using the Torah for your own political gains. You should be ashamed of yourselves and the depravity you represent.
Given that the Arabs don’t want to close yeshivos, it isn’t clear why a hareidi rabbi should be grateful to the IDF for “protection.” Once the goal of zionism, espoused by Bennett, is to close down yeshivos and force their students to give up on Torah and learning, why would any frum person favor a continuation of the medinah.
Bennett, personally, has forced a situation whereby a tenth of Israeli Jews must choose between zionism and Torah. He himself demanded the choice be made, and he himself can end the crisis. Without Bennett’s involvement, the crisis can go away. All he has to do is support a law to either end conscription (note the army is dismissing professional soldiers and cutting back weapons systems and training in order to accomodate hareidi conscription) or allow exemption for those with religious objections.
#9/realistic100 – I am sure that the Satmar Rebbe would be thrilled to see you using the internet and speaking English. He would probably also admire the bitul Torah you are engaging in to partake in this conversation.
#15: Practice what you preach and disappear off the ‘net. And start speaking Jewish.
P.S. The Rebbe wasn’t opposed to English for non-Chasidim.
#5 AThought. We all have our share of unintelligent statements, including myself, but first read yours over and explain the mussar behind it. “Gedolei Yisrael (Litvish/Chassidic/Mizrachi) are ALWAYS right, no matter what they say or do. Who are you to talk against them? You should be ashamed of yourself!” That is a powerful statement, yet it is like writing a signed blank check and leaving it in the middle of a train station. I’ll be blunt and respectfully tell you (before TishaBav) that Gedolei Yisroeel do make mistakes, they are not idols for worshiping, they do breath and eat, and continue to learn and grow like all of Bnei Yisroel. When counting 10 Jewish men for a minyan, each one counts as one, whether it is a Gadol Hador with a black hat or a 15 year old boy with a Baseball cap on. Such a beautiful concept.
i used to enjoy the comments of politically/religiously charged (and lets be real, today the lines between those genres have been blurred) articles. אבל את חטאי אני מזכיר היום. the same people are constantly supporting or attacking the chareidi or dati leumi position on any issue. hasnt anyone yet realized that no one will change the opinion of another through a comment on this, or any website? what is the point of all this heated discussion, whether it be on erev tisha b’av or purim? we are so quick to judge, לפסול, and i must ask, why? besides for the fact that it is very clear from the first perek of maseches kesubos how far the concept of chezkas kashrus goes, we are all adding fuel to the fire of שנאת חינם. chazal say that every generation in which the beis hamikdash was not rebuilt, it is as if it was destroyed in their generation. do we really seek to lower ourselves to the point of destroying the beis hamikdash? im almost certain that my words will fall of dead ears, but that does not change ones obligation to make a מחאה.
“Gedolei Yisrael (Litvish/Chassidic/Mizrachi) are ALWAYS right, no matter what they say or do.”
Only Hashem Yisboruch is always right. Our gedolai Torah are bassar v’dom and they make mistakes.
Besides, the Litvish/Chassidic/Mizrachi seem to have a lot of difficulty agreeing that the other is always right.
#15/UJM I never said that I personally hold of the Satmar Rebbe’s zt”l views on internet and language (or many other subjects for that matter), I do find it ignorant and hypocritical for someone else to quote him as The definitive authority on one subject and completely disregard him on others.