Shas leaders are all smiles and with good reason. No one knows more them just how fortunate the party is to have reached 11 seats, with many of the pre-election polls predicting single digits. Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita has come out and publically thanks HKBH and all those who assisted. Party leaders came out thanking HKBH as well, in addition to “Maran” for his brachos.
Shas leaders are signaling they expect to be a part of the new coalition but inside the party the picture is a different one, one of concern. Shas officials are away the prime minister can build a coalition of 68 votes without the chareidim, and with the ‘share the burden’ remaining high on the agenda of the incoming coalition, the chareidim are facing a major problem.
While Shas and Yahadut Hatorah represent almost as many seats as Yesh Atid, the prime minister is considerably more comfortable sitting with Lapid’s 19 votes as a major partner than the combine 18 votes from the two chareidi partners. In addition, the ‘share the burden’ issue has simply become a political hot potato and even if he so desires, the prime minister cannot ignore the fact that a new dawn has risen and there must be a new system regarding the Bnei Torah tzibur and service to the nation as the secularists view it.
Some askanim remain optimistic regarding avreichim, and are cautiously confident that they can reach agreement for all those sitting and learning, those Bnei Torah who are married and have families. The more difficult matter will be that of the talmidim entering yeshiva gedola, those of draft eligible age. The Defense Ministry has been preparing, including the establishment of a new Nachal Chareidi Brigade and expanding the Shachar units, all towards accommodating thousands of new chareidi recruits.
With the smoke of the election hype clearing, the chareidim are aware that Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid is not an unreasonable person and there may be a common line between them, but Yahadut Hatorah’s Moshe Gafne already told Israel Radio’s Reshet Bet that on the issue of Bnei Torah serving in the military there will be no compromise.
While it is a minority opinion, some askanim in the Ashkenazi camp fear that the prime minister will try to divide and conquer by splitting the Shas/Yahadut Hatorah union to bring Shas in with its 11 seats while leaving the Ashkenazi chareidim and their 7 seats in opposition. With Deri back in a senior Shas position, the Sephardi chareidi party is likely to be considerably less hawkish on many issues and there may be more room to persuade Shas rather than working to bring both chareidi partners in as a unit.
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16 Responses
Netanyahu would be crazy to build a coaltion around the Chareidi parties whose parochial agendas and sometimes irrational priorities dictated by some rabbonim who themselves are often detached from political reality make it difficult to achieve concensus within the cabinent. A coalition with the secular center/right parties would make much more sense than another round of having the the Chareidi parties threatening to leave vote against the government every other week because some rabbonim disagree with a government decision
The army doesnt want thousands of new people coming in overnite… the system wants that everyone contribute….Lapid doesnt want to drag chariedim out by their beards into the army- it wont work – what he does want is that they start learning and working — the chariedim have 5-15 kids each while dati leumi,chardal and chiloni are 1-5… eventually the math wont add up anymore and regardless of how many hitech companies are sold there wont be enough money to support everyone…nevermind it it s not fair to force 1 community to support the other.. by integrating the chariedi society into shirut leumi – whether it be in the army itself or in institutions so they can work legally they will be helping themselves
#1 writes: “the Chareidi parties whose parochial agendas and sometimes irrational priorities dictated by some rabbonim who themselves are often detached from political reality”.
Let’s hear. Give your best examples.
For example, opposing just about every effort to find some compromise on the Tal law issues to assure that Chareidi youth would share in the burdens of national defense, whether in the army or alternative forms of public service and the answer was in each case NO. There were numerous other cases where the Chareidi parties demanded continuation or expansion of subsidies for their mosdos at time of austerity and the government was trying to cut back on deficit spending. Again, there was little recognition of the national agenda of reducing deficits and simply demands for more handouts. Given how little the Chareidi sector has contributed towards economic development and job growth in EY, which in turn would expand the tax base and revenues, their constant demand for more spending with associated threats to vote against the government unless those demands were met, is another reason for Netanyahu to avoid reliance on Chareidi coalition partners.
#4 Sounds fine, but unfortunately for you Bibi is going to the hareidim and not to Bennett because believe it or not, the former is far more flexible and indeed loyal to Likud than the latter. Hence why he’s been so desperately trying to get Lapid to warm to his “natural partners”.
The draft issues also require the hareidim in government because without input from Gedolei Yisrael, a workable compromise cannot be reached.
If you want to get a good feel for Lapid’s views and visions for the chareidi tzibur, watch this video of him speaking to chareidim at Kiryat Ono college BEFORE Lapid started into politics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNwAv6zpmh4
“…… the system wants that everyone contribute…it s not fair to force 1 community to support the other…”
“Given how little the Chareidi sector has contributed towards economic development and job growth in EY”
When the military gets serious about respecting kashrus etc., THEN make an argument for Chareidim in the IDF. Reverse the argument.
The chareidi sector carries all of the “burden” of learning and prayer the chiloni could not care less about. This is the Land of Israel, not France, not England, not the USA. SURE its important to make a living and defend the Land. Remember that the next time the “new” administration runs to the next Oslo. The chareidi sectors know the chiloni mindset.
Gadolhadorah, Dear Sir,
Rav Chaim Kanievsky and Rav Elyashiv did not invent the idea that learning Torah is a very essential part of a war effort. Historically this is part of our nations war effort since the days of King David and Moses. They know that very well, but the succeed with cheap propaganda getting people like you.
Putting down the learning of Torah and saying that it doesn’t contribute to society isn’t either a new invention. See Sanhedrin 99 to learn what kind of place awaits people who say that.
The states budget allocates big bucks to sports, drama and music, and all kids of shtuyot, but Torah study is always on the chopping block. It’s A CHOICE to fall into their cheap and criminal propaganda.
And by the way, Rav Elyashiv Ztz”l was strongly debating separating the Yeshivot from the government, to just care for ourselves, and stop worrying about public transportation on Shabbos etc. and many many chareidi PR people wanted him to do that, but he felt by doing that we’re alienating the secular Jew, who’s only connection to Judaism is that he belongs to the so called ‘Jewish state’, where the Torah Jews interact with them as one people.
To Breslever
I’m not sure I agree with your point on “Chareidi loyalty”
to Likud but certainly Netanyahu can solicit the views of those you refer to as “Gedolei Yisroel” without having them holding down cabinet ministries which they use to assure an uninterrupted flow of funds to their mosdos.
The states budget allocates big bucks to sports, drama and music…My extended Charedei family in Eretz Yiroel loves using the sport fields at Gan Pamaman, Gan Shacher, the basketball & soccer fields in Ramat Eshkol and in the state’s parks. They also attend Jewish concerts and conferences at Binyanei Haoma, stadiums etc. So those budget $$$ even the Biblical Zoo which is high on the list of cultural spots for Charedim are used by all sectors.
oh I forgot about us not contributing to job creation.
So, anyone who looks at the budget (instead of propaganda) will see clearly how they deny the chareidi request for job training and credits, while they sponsor millions to all kinds of irrelevant philosophical studies. – it turns out, the Chareidim sponsor the secular students by taking so little…
http://www.kikarhashabat.co.il/%D7%94%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%93%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%9E%D7%9E%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%95%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%98%D7%99%D7%9D.html
Again, it’s a choice to fall pray to propaganda.
MDshweks, if you want to quote things don’t forget to quote Rambam who clearly wrote – you’re NOT allowed to just learn full-time and say that you’ll live off of money from others (tzedaka). In fact, Rambam says that doing so will make you lose olam haba, steal, ruin your yddiishkeit, and some other pretty strong words against it.
#12, I’m assuming you mean Talmud Torah 3:10 – but did you see the Kesef Mishna there? Did you know that that Ramba”m seem to contradict what he writes at the end of “Hilchos Shmita V’yovel”? Do you know all the answers given???
And by the way, if you live in America and enjoy all the wonderful credits you get for years in Yeshiva, and student loans etc. etc. you have no idea how chareidim are being treated in Eretz Yisroel. They’ll quicker give money to some research of some Shakespeare play than to job training for chareidim.
oh and one more important point:
The Chareidim say they’re paying more taxes then they get back. They would love to have the government earmark every Shekel of tax by charedi to go to chareidim and nothing more! that will be way more then what we get now.
Did you know that at least for the last 15 years the Kibutzim come out with a loss? and the government gives them a big “Kolel Check”?!?
“how they deny the chareidi request for job training and credits”
MDshweks, I appreciate your insights and info, when it comes to job training, degrees and credits, MK Gafni when interviewed by Haeretz answered that question with this exact quote “the craze for academic degrees & job training is idol worship. It causes damage to the child, to the system and to everybody, with no benefit”.
There are many Charedim that are looking into job training, degree programs and vocational studies yet encouragement is not given by the party or leadership.
What Rambam was talking about in Hilchos Shemita v’yovel was clearly not halacha – it was him expressing a hashkafa wish that Hashem should protect those who learn full-time & make themselves like shevet Levi. Rambam often sticks in a shtickle hashkafa like that at the end of something else. If it were halacha (i.e. if he were paskening that you are allowed to learn full time in order to not go to war), then he never would have included it there! Where, of where would he have put it? Of course, he would have included it with all of the other halachot of war – he clearly lists the people who are exempt from going to war in that set of halachot of war: i.e. he talks about someone who just got married, just built a house, planted a vinyard… but alas, nothing about someone who decides he wants to learn all day.