The vote has taken place in Knesset and as expected, the bill to legalize the five apartment buildings slated for demolition was defeated today, Wednesday, 16 Sivan 5772. The Settlement Regulation Bill was presented by MK Zevulun Orlev.
The vote was nothing more than a formality as the outcome was known in advance. The vote to save the apartment buildings was defeated as expected, removing the last line of defense for the 30 Beit El families who will now join the growing number of Israelis expelled from their legal homes by their own government.
One man who was not deterred by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s insistence that party discipline be invoked was coalition whip MK Ze’ev Elkin, an outspoken proponent of the bill who voted for it.
MK Zevulun Orlev (HaBayit HaYehudi), who sponsored the bill addressed the plenum session ahead of the vote, pointing out the significance of the Gregorian date, June 6th. On this day eight years ago, the Sharon government voted on the Gush Katif expulsion he told lawmakers, who were not too moved by the painful realities those families and the nation live today as a result of that decision. “It appears that the prime minister simply remains a soldier of Defense Minister Ehud Barak” he concluded.
While only a few hours before the vote HaBayit HaYehudi leader Science Minister Rabbi Prof. Daniel Hershkowitz, Minister (Likud) Yuli Edelstein, Deputy Minister (Likud) Gila Gamliel and Deputy Minister (Likud) Ayoub Kara all stated they will support the bill even if it means their job, they absented themselves from the vote, as did Ministers Silvan Shalom, Yisrael Katz and Yossi Peled who are abroad as planned, extricating themselves from the complexities of the vote.
Yisrael Beitenu Party MKs and ministers were also absent from the vote, as was Ichud HaLeumi MK Uri Ariel, a major settlement activist. Also absent was MK (HaBayit HaYehudi) Uri Aurbach, another staunch right-wing pro-settlement lawmaker.
THE CHAREIDI VOTE
Shas cabinet ministers abstained, walking out, while party MKs voted in favor of the bill.
Some Yahadut HaTorah MKs and deputy ministers were not present for the vote. MKs Gafne and Maklev reported ahead of the vote that HaRosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita instructed them to oppose it because halachically, one may not compel the land owner to accept a deal he in not genuinely interested in accepting. Rav Eichler abided by the instructions of his rebbe, the Belzer Rebbe Shlita, voting in favor of the bill.
MK (Am Shalem) Rav Chaim Amsellem, previously of Shas, voted in favor of the bill to save the Beit El homes.
Thousands were outside Knesset during the vote, and they became a bit unruly after learning of the bill’s defeat, trying to block the streets as a cat-and-mouse game between protestors and police followed.
REBUILDING THE HOMES
Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein has given his approval for the prime minister’s plan to rebuild the homes, which will be dismantled a brick at a time and then reconstructed about a kilometer (6/10 mile) away. Mr. Netanyahu also promised ten homes will be constructed for each of the five homes being dismantled.
Settlement officials point out that more important than the five apartment buildings is the dangerous precedent set by the move.
THE NEXT EXPULSION
With the next expulsion on the horizon there are already two schools of thought; those who favor a strong resistance to the expulsion force while others feel this will only serve to increase the magnitude of the chilul Hashem, calling on residents to accept the gezeira and leave peacefully.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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13 Responses
“HaRosh Yeshiva HaGaon HaRav Aaron Yehuda Leib Shteinman Shlita instructed them to oppose it because halachically, one may not compel the land owner to accept a deal he in not genuinely interested in accepting”.
I dont understand! Acording to this we gotta pack out of most of eretz yisroel! could anyone explain?
It’s a shame, but anger will get us nowhere. The shape of Eretz Yisrael is changing, spiritually as well as physically. It is not only the Torah study center of the World but one of the few countries in which religion is vastly on the rise. The baalei teshuva count is in the high hundreds of thousands (some say over a million) and rises year on year.
Where is the rush here? We’ve waited thousands of years to be back in our land. We can wait a few more generations to vote to annex it all and start running it the way Torah tells us to.
Of course Shas didn’t take part. If they lose their place in the government, they lose ways to make money for their constituents. It’s as simple as that – vote (or don’t vote) – based on where the money is coming from.
The TRUTH HAS WON OUT::: JOBS as a MK, MONEY and FAME has won out over truth, justice and honesty.
Goodbye Yehuda, Shomron, the OLD CITY, Beitar, Emanuel, Kiryat Sefer, Ramot, Shuafat, Efrat, Kiryat Arba, French Hill, Nvei Yakov, Ramot Eshkol, Sanhdreia Murchavet, etc….. it has all been voted or absented from on June 6th.
Mr. “Zion” flag and all the rest of you from that orientation. When will you come to understand? Do you really think that these decrees on Jews are a result of this government or another? Do really think that those small Aguda or Shas politicians are what makes the difference? Don’t you see a pattern in what has been going on for the last 20 years or so since the Oslo Agreements?
Mabey G-d is doing us a favor? Instead of bringing down the State in one bang, mabey he is doing things gradually to make us understand? Are you sure it was not a mistake to follow the Zionists? Can’t you take more seriously what the Nevi’im teach and what we read in siddur every day? There will be a Geula by Moshiach. Eliyahu Hanavi will be the Mevaser, WHO ARE WE FOLLOWING INSTEAD???
Are you still fooling yourselves that the Zionist State is the soulution to the Holocaust? Are you sure that G-d does not have a say? Do you say the ‘V’hoyo Im Shamoa’ every day?
#5 Mr “Old Fassioned” Jew thinks he’s a bigger Gadol than Maran Ovadia, the Belzer Rebbe or other Gedolei Yisrael. Unfortunately he seems to have forgotten Ein Od Milvado applies in ALL cases. That is to say that the state of Israel exists and continues to do (not by the might of our right hands) but by the will of Hashem. To say otherwise contradicts the Rambam’s #1 Statement of Faith and is borderline heresy.
The settlements are flourishing and Bibi relocating 30 a few hundred meters away won’t change that. In fact, he’s going to build more homes too! Such a harsh decree!
Old Fassion….you are fixated on one SHITAh and one Shitah only, the Moshiach coming-tshuva brand. Learn torah, understand sefarim, and open your eyes to other realities.
takahmamash, shall we tell you what the price is for motzeh shem rah?
Dear Breslever, it’s true many unaffiliated Jews come to see the emmes and join us. On a sobering note, realize that we are also losing Yiden from our machane.
Harav Steinman instructed…
did anyone actually hear first hand what his reason is? “one may not compel the land owner to accept a deal he in not genuinely interested in accepting” who’s the seller? the arab? compel? didnt he sell already years ago? did he prove anything? No!
how can you give a psak halacha without proving anything? just based on media info? I’m 100% sure this is not his reason.
7. I take it back… he probably meant forcing the land owner which is the Jew to accept the Government deal…
#7 One truth, one religion and one G-d only. “Moshiach comming – Tshuva brand” is our heritage and promise it’s in our Torah and all the holly sforim. Not “other realities”. If you do not stop straying after your eyes that are fooling you to beleive in your fantasies and your false profits the REALITIES indeed will come back at your face like a bumenrang.
What a kiddush hashem. Gafni and Maklev did the right thing. Chareidim are not right wing nationalists. The Arabs are also entitled to their property rights.