According to a Maariv report appearing on erev Shabbos, Bayit Yehudi MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli is recorded saying that if the government plans to release terrorists, the fourth terrorist release in the deal with the PA (Palestinian Authority), the party will break from the coalition. She is quoted saying “There can be no doubt the party will not remain in a coalition if terrorists are released. I am certain if this decision is made the party will break from the coalition”.
The report has angered chareidi lawmakers who point out that they begged party leader Naftali Bennett to use his coalition influence to prevent criminal sanctions in the new draft law, but he preferred not to despite promising the chareidi parties the new draft law would not include criminal sanctions.
Kikar Shabbos quotes chareidi political sources saying “It appears Bayit Yehudi does not care about the Torah HaKadosha while it is more concerned with the release of terrorists. They must understand one thing, that the Torah precedes all, even the release of terrorists”.
It should be pointed out that in the second terrorist release Shas MK Yitzchak Cohen used the Knesset plenum to send a message to the dati leumi party. “There will be two additional releases of terrorists and you will not leave the coalition over them. The expulsion in Gush Katif was because of you. How hypocritical can one party be? Enough! We have had enough. You act like Zimri and then seek the reward of Pinchos.”
At the time, Cohen also directed comments at Moalem-Refaeli, adding “There will be two additional terrorist releases Mrs. Shuli. They are being released because of you for you did nothing to prevent it because remaining in power is very very pleasant to you. Whoa, we’ve been had”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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8 Responses
How many times can Bayit Yehudi cry wolf? Bennett, like Lapid, is power hungry. Neither one will ever drop out of the coalition. This is all Bubba maasos.
He should have thought of that before he declared war on the hareidim. His replacement in the government will be parties to the left, and if the hareidim do join a Netanyahu government, their price will be ending conscription and in return respecting Likud’s free hand in all other matters.
Only a fool will hold his breath for this baloney threat. Bennett will never leave the coalition even if it crosses all red lines, all terrorists are released and all homes in the shtachim are destroyed. As long as Bennett is not pulled out by his ears, he’ll stay in there to please his friend the Rasha Lapid.
“They must understand one thing, that the Torah precedes all, even the release of terrorists”.”
Actually, they got this one backwards. Pikuach Nefesh precedes all (except three)!
To #4:
I think it may depend on what one means by Torah — Rabbi Akiva endangered his life to learn Torah noting that for us, Torah is life.
I’m not discounting your point, just noting that the issue is more complicated than a simple Pikuach Nefesh situation. This is not a question of whether a particular bochur should sit in a particular Beis Midrash during a Pikuach Nefesh situation. This is a question about the general nature of Torah study for the entire Chareidi community in Eretz Yisrael.
jwander: It is not backwards at all. It is precisely the rule you quote – that pikuach nefesh precedes all – that guides our leaders to tell the parties who follow da’as Torah, to permit land and terrorist deals.
Bibi and Lapid will give some sugar and the coalition will remain tight and sweet.
“The expulsion in Gush Katif was because of you.”
LIAR! The Religious Zionist parties (National Union and National Religious Parties) resigned from the government in protest. But Agudath Israel joined the government a few months later, before the disengagement, and remained in the government throughout. The Shas MK should be attacking the Ashkenazic charedim, not the Religious Zionists.
“before he declared war on the hareidim”
Actually it was the charedim who declared war in him, long before he formed a coalition with Lapid. Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef z’tz’l called the HaBayit HaYehudi party a “party of goyim” prior to the election! Why should Bennett pay any attention to the charedim when all they have done is to demonize him?