Shas leader Aryeh Deri spoke with Moti Lavi of Kol Berama Radio on Wednesday morning 10 Adar II following the Beit Shemesh election victory.
Deri was pleased to put it mildly, pointing out the past month’s intensive work paid off. He explained that an emphasis was placed on Old Beit Shemesh, the area populated by many traditional and dati leumi Sephardim, many opting not to vote in the past election.
Deri spoke of weeks of parlor meeting and endless hours of sitting and explaining and persuading eligible voters to get out and vote for the chareidi candidate. He added that he and his colleagues went anywhere at any time, even meetings with as few as five people and it paid off.
I must add that without a doubt Maran ZT”L was part of this election too.
Kol Berama:
Yes indeed, and we also saw Maran in the Eli Cohen campaign.
Deri:
Correct and we did what we could there.
Kol Berama:
I liked it to for it showed that even the non-chareidi camp is aware that Torah wins and they tried.
How will you capitalize on this victory elsewhere?
Deri:
The big lesson here is achdus wins. We saw this when the three Moetzas Gedolei Yisrael met together, Shas, Degel Yisrael and Agudas Yisrael. Then the Million Man Atzeres and now in Beit Shemesh.
We must continue working with Yahadut Hatorah and all chareidim must understand there must be true achdus for that is what wins. We have proven it is possible and it is the winning formula.
Our lack of harmony is what has caused the situation we are in today. We must be straight with one another and the chareidi torah community must remain one unified voice.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Deri by his own admission will work (tirelessly) to form a coalition with Labor MK Yitzchak Herzog. Herzog views are even more to the left of Lapid.
Lapid is more to the left than Labor on religious issues.
On economic issues Chareidim have always been to the left. So Labor is more suitable for a Chareidi coalition than Lapid – or even than Likud.
The man has been the most divisive politician out there hopefully this he will change his ways.
Additionally the reason Abutbul won was because of the great lengths Rav Shtieinman made reaching out to all sectors including those who don’t usually vote not Shas. He is the one responsible for creating achdus throughout the frum world and he did it without creating a chillul hashem or attacking the other candidate.