The weekend edition of the Peleg Yerushalmi-affiliated HaPeles newspaper attacked chareidi politicians of conducting “a clearance sale” but signaled out one of them as being a champion of the battle to preserve Kedushas Shabbos; Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman.

The newspaper quoted that it was Litzman, and only he, who spoke out last week setting his condition for entering a new coalition, the preservation of Kedushas Shabbos. Litzman stated clearly if he does not receive the necessary guarantees to curtail Chilul Shabbos, he would not be entering into a new coalition.

The article appeared in the weekend edition of the newspaper, in a column written by Y. Binyamin entitled “Behind the Headlines”. Binyamin is the son of HaRav Yonah Zloshinsky (זלושינסקי) of Ponevezh Yeshiva, and a leading rabbinical figure in the moderate faction of Peleg, following HaGaon Rav Asher Deutsch.

Zloshinsky accuses the chareidim in Knesset of conducting a “clearance sale” at the expense of the chareidi tzibur and Eretz Yisrael. He did however signal out Litzman as the lone voice speaking out to protect Shabbos.

The article reads, “In fact, it may be worth mentioning that the clearance sale was not carried out by all of Yahadut Hatorah. In fact, Deputy Minister of Health Yaakov Litzman was quoted this week in an internal discussion of his faction activists. At a closed election conference, his party stated it will not enter any government ‘if the matter of Shabbos is not rectified'”.

The article continues to sing the praises of Litzman, while bashing the other chareidi lawmakers.

Leading Peleg rabbonim have called on their tzibur not to participate in the upcoming Knesset election.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)