During the last 24 hours a rumor has been circulating that the Degel breakaway Bnei Torah party is working a deal to run with Shas. This seems to be based on a meeting that took place in recent days between HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita and HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen Shlita. Details of what was discussed were not revealed, leading to the rumors.
In the last election, when Bnei Torah threatened to run independently, the Gerrer Rebbe Shlita visited Rav Auerbach in his home and persuaded him to remain united and not split off, a move that would result in a the loss of votes. Cooperation continued until the elections for Jerusalem Chief Rabbis. The Bnei Torah faction supported the elected Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Aryeh Stern Shlita while Gur voted for Rav Moshe Lau Shlita.
Ladaat spoke with Assistant Editor of HaPeles Rav Yeshayahu Wein. HaPeles is the newspaper of the Bnei Torah Party. Wein denies that there is any possibility whatsoever of Bnei Torah aligning with Shas, not even the most remote possibility of such an occurrence.
Rav Wein did confirm the party may however run on its own and compete with Yahadut Hatorah or support another party, stating Eli Yishai is a possibility.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
Some of tge polls (which are very unreliable) have Shas close to the threshold, but the solution would be for all hareidi parties to run as a single list. With Shas losing its un-hareidi (i.e. nationalist/hawk) wing, there isn’t much difference between what’s left of Shas and the Ashkenazi parties. One list makes sure that no one wastes votes, and forces the hiloni parties to bargain with the block as a group.
akuperma,
sorry deri is not like utj for the reason that deris demands have no shaychus to yiddishkeit, shas now is basically a little frummer than likud
Shas worries more about parnassah for its supporters, though UTJ does as well. That is the primary ideological difference. Any Sefardi religious party is more interested in their non-religious cousins since most secular Sefardi only recently went off the derekh and aren’t that secular yet, whereas most Ashkenazim gave up on Yiddishkeit many generations ago and are totally assimilated into western culture. Shas, especially after Yishai leaves to join a “hardal” party, is almost the same as UTJ: 1) Opposed to conscription; 2) wants to be left alone on policy matters while getting government money; 3) pro-welfare (handouts for the poor); 4) doves on foreign affairs.
Eitz with Yishai??
I wish, (for Yishai’s sake) but I can’t fathom Eitz voting for a party that has Uri Ariel, (if that ever Materializes)
But if not, that would definitely help Yishai, and the Eitz camp would be psyched to “revenge” Degel
AND hawkish, rightwing Charedim will now find a home with Eli Yishei and say goodbye to UTJ, especially those living past the green line in Betar, Ramat Shlomo, Givat Zev, etc.