Yahadut Hatorah MK Moshe Gafne is calling on his colleagues and the chareidi media not to attack Yair Lapid over the latter’s attacks against the chareidi tzibur. It appears that in the upcoming election. Gafne is changing his strategy vis-à-vis the Yesh Atid party and its leader.
Gafne explains the chareidi issue is Lapid’s main election card and keeping the issue alive will only serve to assist him in gaining additional votes as was the case in the last elections.
Speaking with Mordechai Lavi of Kol Berama Radio on Tuesday morning 10 Kislev, Gafne explained that the government is out of touch with the people, the various groups of the population represented in the cabinet. He explains that at the onset he predicted the government would be short-lived and it appears this is going to be the case. He added that two things are known; one being that the government has not been operating properly for a number of months and two; the extreme level of loathing between the factions has reached a level “that it is not even capable of running a kiosk, having reached irreparable proportions that even if a new government is formed as a result of mediation between them, in another month or perhaps two, it won’t last and I do not believe this will occur”.
Gafne was quick to add that this time around the chareidim were not involved and cannot be blamed. Even though the chareidi tzibur took a lot of blows, hashkafa, legislatively speaking and regarding budgets and the draft, the chareidim were uninvolved. “We were in the opposition. They did what they did. We must continue this process and we must not become involved” referring to the chareidi tzibur at large.
Gafne stated that the time has come for Yair Lapid who heads a 19-seat party to face the music and to explain to the nation what he has done with the nation’s economy as finance minister amid a realization this time around, he cannot blame the chareidim.
Gafne expressed anger at the chareidi media that responds to Lapid for he feels Lapid made the mess and he alone must deal with it and responding to his anti-chareidi rhetoric at this time or in an election campaign will only serve to assist him and hurt the chareidim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
1. Under proportional representation, you run against those most similar to you in ideology. Very few voters will be deciding between Agudah/Degel ha-Torah or Yesh Atid. Agudah/Degel ha-Torah is running primarily against those who might be considering Likud or Bayit Yehudi, as well as trying to get voters who normally boycott the election on the grounds they don’t support the medinah (whose turnout in the Beit Shemesh election was important).
2. Lapid’s main accomplishment was conscription, so attacking him appeals to anti-hareidi voters to support Lapid (who otherwise is considered a failure for his other policies).
#1
Lapid ym”sh and chevra has done far more destruction than just the draft
What you mean is,that that will be his prime selling point to mainstream israelis
Most of the rest ,most israelis are dubious at the minimum about,and would have opposed had it come from the”old established left”
I’m no fan of Gafne’s, quite the contrary, but I have to say that he is 100% correct on this issue. Why give Lapid any ammunition. Let him take a beating in the next election and within a few more elections, he will hopefully disappear altogether.
With ARAB TERROR increasing, the country has always felt more secure in the hands of the right.
Goodbye Livni….please no going away party!
shame on #2 for using term ym”sh
How can you say that about a yid albeit an evil yid.
1. Most Israelis think Lapid’s anti-hareidi activities are something he has done “right” (meaning correct, what they favor), and its the rest of his policies that are hurting, so attacking him by saying “Lapid hates the hareidim” makes him a more attractive candidate to the bulk of his potential voters.
2. Under proportional voting, you need to run against your friends not your enemies. Lapid is competing with other centrists, anti-religious parties. As he is more obnoxious than most of the others, the hareidim should avoid helping him. For example,if Jews campaigned against Hitler saying “Don’t vote for him, he’s an anti-semite”,it would have just helped him win the anti-semitic vote.
Gafne’s right..let the doggie bark and ignore.