It did not take too long for members of the Otzma Yisrael Party that did not get into Knesset to break their post-election silence. Former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari and Baruch Marzel spoke out, expressing their feelings of anger and frustration, betrayal and concern. The Otzma Yisrael party fell 9,000 votes short of the required 67,000 vote minimum threshold to enter Knesset.
They speak of how “we warned you” and that now, they are compelled to speak out before it is too late, condemning the agreement between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. They used harsh words in their condemnation of Bennett’s decision, which they feel represents Bennett’s betrayal of his voters. They feel that Bennett has “crossed all acceptable lines” and his decision to team with Lapid is simply “suicide”. They stress “We did not err in listening to our rabbonim, who instructed us to run independently and not join forces with Bennett”. Ben-Ari explains that without their party, there was no ideological party to vote for.
“The chareidi parties have proven they have no loyalty to Eretz Yisrael, as was seen during the Disengagement and other processes that have claimed many lives as well as bringing rocket attacks to the outskirts of Bnei Brak.”
Ben-Ari believes that Bennett’s pact with Lapid “endangers Eretz Yisrael”, pointing out that former National Religious Party leaders Effie Eitam and Zevulun Orlev embraced Lapid’s father Tommy, entering into a coalition that was harmful to the chareidim. As a result of that agreement he explains the Ministry of Religious Affairs was shut and jurisdiction for rabbinical courts moved from that ministry to the Justice Ministry. The Torah world suffers as a result. The split with the chareidim he explains permitted Ariel Sharon to move ahead and evict the Jews of Gush Katif and Northern Shomron, and today, that split is widening as we see due to Bennett’s poor leadership.
The two explain that by the time the NRP broke from the coalition it was too late, simply a symbolic gesture at that point. They feel the new NRP, with Bennett and Orbach at the helm, is simply making the same mistakes as their predecessors – cutting ties with the chareidim and turning their backs on the Torah world. “We will protect the Torah world and you protect Eretz Yisrael is the ‘New Testament’ between Bennett and Lapid, which will harm both the Torah and Eretz Yisrael.”
“To our sorrow, this is just the beginning for the voters who supported Bennett wanted new politics, and they got a policy that harms Torah and the Land.” They urge Bennett supporters to compel him to break away from Lapid before it is too late, and it is indeed close to that point.
The two have harsh words for the chareidim too, especially Yahadut Hatorah which appears to have turned its back on the yishuvim and turned the residents of these communities in the new enemy. The two point out “They tried to persuade Chabad that the extra seats required by Yahadut Hatorah would make the difference for those loyal to Eretz Yisrael, and today we see a different reality.”
The two continue to blast the actions of Yahadut Hatorah, the utter betrayal and breaking all the rules to advance their agenda.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Guys, you just ‘burned’ two Knesset seats – and not for the first time either. That’s quite enough, thank you very much.
Although I am not a follower of Marzel, he is correct that Bennett has betrayed his constituents and even his own party members are upset with his leadership.
In the short time since the elections passed he has made a deal with the devil, Lapid, who is basically against settlements. What a turn coat!
Let us consider this from another point of view. The Rabbis know that there is neither a possibility of peace with the Arabs nor of them having any influence on the negotiation process. Nobody ever really, seriously asks their opinion on what to do or how to do it. I doubt that the ruling elite take the whole thing seriously any more as well. Look who they just put in charge of it all. So from their point of view this is like agreeing to let the Treif Bird decide what to buy his latest girl friend for her birthday. Why not agree? It also provides a way for justifying dropping the “equal burden” red herring and getting on with real things.
Let us not loose sight of a few fact. The vast majority of growth in Yeshah is from the Hareidi towns and not from the National Religious. True this is primarily in a few “safe” areas but I do not see the kind of massive move of people into Yeshah that equals the grandiloquence of this sector. It is the National Religious establishment as well that fully backs the Yeshah Council and has made pariahs out of the “hilltop youth.” It was their Rabbis that gave the HEKSHER to the Sharon Pogrom as well and teaches its students to sing GOI uber alles.
They are not offering to sell out Eretz Yisroel. That offer has already been made by Begin, Rabin, Peres, Sharon, Netanyahu, Barak and the overwhelming majority of the professional politicians. So again, none of these people listen to what Rabbis have to say. They do what they do based on their own criteria. So if agreeing to a done deal will advance the causes important to these Rabbis, why not?
Why do you insist on blaming them for this? They are not the ones in business with the Arab murderers or siphoning off billions into private accounts. They are not the ones who arm, train and finance the terrorists. They are, however, the ones who spend 18-20 hours a day, every day, keeping the Yeshivas alive and protected from the unJews. That is what is important to them and they are very good at doing what is important to them.
If all the Eretz Yisroel politicians where as dedicated and devoted as these Rabbis, we would never have gotten into this situation. The sad reality it that for most of the Eretz Yisroel people, it is just a posture or slogan to be used but not something to interfere with serious things like advancing a political career or making money.
So let us place the blame for the Oslo treason and all that has come out of it on the people who caused not those who are trying to survive in spite of it.
The vast majority of growth in Yeshah is from the Hareidi towns and not from the National Religious – The growth of Beitar and Kiryat Sefer plus communities outside of green line in Yerushalayim has been from the Charedi sector yet the majority of Yesha & Shomron is NR all the way. This increase has been slowed down due to lack of housing allowances.
What Marzel is angry about and so are most Israeli voters is two things!!! In Israel you never get what you voted for….the compromises, back dealing, poker playing destroys the agenda of the parties. TWO and more importantly,,,,there is NO party that is interested in AM YISROEL as a nation as a country as a people. Specific issues, sectarian interests, minority needs while the rest of the people can drop off the globe.
How sorrowful in the eyes of Hashem!!!
Yahadut ha-Torah (Degel ha-Torah plus Agudah) and Shas were never hawkish parties. In 1948 they even had to be pursuaded to even support the idea of a state – that’s where the exemption of yeshiva students came form – and in fairness they probably were right in their resistance (we would probably be better off as an American trust territory or Commonwealth). Marzel and Ben-Ari were putting words into the mouths of the Hareidi parties by saying they were attaching a greater importance to control of Eretz Yisraelrather than emphasizing learning and mitsvos – and peace.
“So from their point of view this is like agreeing to let the Treif Bird decide what to buy his latest girl friend for her birthday.”
I am utterly confused. What is “a Treif Bird” in this context, please, and what does buying his latest girl friend gifts have to do with anything?
This is a genuine question, devoid of all and any chochmos. I really would like an explanation, please.
“we would probably be better off as an American trust territory or Commonwealth”
First of all, akuperma, might I respectfully ask you to check your knowledge of the history of the State of Israel, please?
When you have done that it should become fairly obvious to you that it was Britain that was awarded the League of Nations’ mandate over Palestine/EI. The United States had not a single scintilla of interest in the country unti the onset of World War II.
Given that, how did you reach your outlandish conclusion that “we [whoever that “we might rmight not be] would probably be better off as an American trust territory or Commonwealth”?
I realize that you are probably a very well-meaning American Jew, akuperma, but when it comes to facts on the ground you appear to be away with the fairies!