Despite mounting tensions between Shas and the dati leumi Bayit HaYehudi Party, leading dati leumi rav HaGaon HaRav Chaim Druckman Shlita met last week with Yesh Atid number two man Rabbi Shai Piron. Piron told the press ahead of the meeting that he was “bothered” by the fact that his rabbonim were “running” to meet with admorim.

Rav Druckman is quoted by the daily Yisrael Hayom explaining to Bennett in a recent meeting that he does not want to see the dati leumi party as the only religious party in Knesset, explaining the chareidim must be included. This complicates matters considering that Bennett signed a deal with Yesh Atid that they either enter the coalition or the opposition as one, acting as a unit regarding their combined 31 seats. Rabbi Druckman however, who is close to Bennett, sees things from a different perspective and wishes to see his party make peace with the chareidim, particularly Shas.

Rabbi Piron is quoted in the report stating he met with “the rabbonim” but he refused to elaborate.

Back to Bayit Yehudi, party officials are convinced that the scathing columns and statements against Bennett and their party are coming from Aryeh Deri, not Eli Yishai, Yisrael Hayom reports. One Bayit Yehudi “source” is quoted saying “Bennett relies on Yair Lapid more than he does Aryeh Deri. There are meetings with rabbonim as efforts to smooth things over continue,” intimating Deri was responsible for the scathing column in the Shas-affiliated Yom L’Yom weekend edition.

Deri has publically distanced himself from the harsh attack, adding he has recently met with Shomron Chief Rabbi Elyakim Levanon as he continues building bridges with the dati leumi community.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)