With Thursday’s 22 Kislev deadline rapidly approaching, the political parties are working to complete the lists in order to submit them on time to become eligible to run in the 11 Shevat national elections. Despite a lull in the hostilities over recent days, it appears that a split between the Degel and HaPeles factions of Degel HaTorah may be unavoidable as time is working against the reality that the sides are far from agreement.
It was believed that the convening of the Degel Moetzas Gedolei HaTorah was a positive sign, one signaling achdus, but that euphoria was short lived as council secretary Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein visited the home of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach in Yerushalayim’s Shaare Chessed neighborhood on Sunday night, the eve of 19 Kislev 5773. The rav was greeted with a letter from Rabbi Tzvi Friedman, a senior official in the HaPeles/Yerushalmi faction, a letter that stated ousting Rav Menachem Carmel from the Degel lineup is tantamount to betraying the wishes of HaGaon HaRav Elyashiv ZT”L.
The letter concludes “It is clear as the sun that according to his (R’ Elyashiv’s) will, the status quo is to be preserved. This means the lineup of Gafne, Maklev and Carmel. It is unacceptable that one who was appointed by Maran Gadol HaDor ZT”L is removed without justifiable cause.”
Yerushalmi faction leaders are contacting HaGaon HaRav Aaron Leib Shteinman Shlita towards persuading him to permit Carmel to remain.
Rav Friedman adds that if this is not agreed upon, then Rav Auerbach will not attend the meeting, adding he may even send a letter of protest regarding the ousting of Carmel from the Degel lineup. Rav Friedman concludes that the actions of the Bnei Brak faction are viewed as an affront to the gadol hatorah from Shaare Chessed and therefore, the situation is unacceptable.
If the sides do not reach agreement by the Thursday deadline, it is entirely possible that Yahadut HaTorah will represent Agudas Yisrael and the Bnei Brak faction of Degel HaTorah and another chareidi party, Netzach, will represent the Yerushalmi/HaPeles faction in the elections.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
As the frum continue their bickering, the nationalists gain power. Soon they will be quarreling over how to make up for all the lost subsidies that the nationalists will cut.
In the last election that got 4.37% of the vote, netting five seats. If they split, and fail to evenly split vote it is likely that one faction will fall below the 2% minimu, and the other will get only 3 seats as most. It’s possible that both will fall below the minimum, and they’ll no seats. Given the lack of substantive differences between the parties, other than wanting patronage if it turns out their votes are needed in forming a coalition, there is no reason for them to run separately.
What exactly is their point of machlokes?
This is so unusual. THe nationalist and zionist parties NEVER have machlokes. I mean the national religious party just broke into two, but that isn’t a machlokes. Kadima split into two, but that isn’t a machlokes. Labors split into two, with Barak taking one faction, but that isn’t a machlokes. Likud had the original Kadima split off it, but that isn’t a machlokes.
The main point of the machlokes is to show that those people who call for achdus, only mean their achdus.
The second point of the machlokes is to be true to the origins of Degel Hatorah which came about as the result of a similar machlokes.