[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

In his Knesset address, MK Moshe Gafne surprised all present with his remarks, opting to focus on the address heard earlier by MK (Labor) Merav Michaeli, who has entered Knesset for the first time in this last general election.

Michaeli, whose articles appear frequently in Haaretz, is the founder of the Ezrat Nashim organization which focuses on equality for women, a committed socialist, a person whose secular left-wing hashkafa is far away from Gafne and Yahadut Hatorah.

Nevertheless, in her address, she spoke of the fact that women in the Israeli workplace are discriminated against, the failures of our society and growing poor, and many other issues which Gafne admits he agrees with, pointing out that she comes from the other side of the political map. Nevertheless, Gafne stresses that he too during his many years in Knesset has worked for equality for women in the workplace, explaining how he got into an uncomfortable situation with a bank manager after he realized the manager’s salary was sufficient to fund a poor neighborhood, explaining he shares her socialist views and is no less concerned over what is taking place in Israel today.

Gafne explains that after this election he is davening that Labor enters the coalition towards true sharing of the burden, equality in the workplace and in economic matters, and instead of this taking place, those who are sensitive to the working poor and today’s worrisome economic realities are being distanced from the coalition.

“Instead of this they meet day after day to discuss something that will never occur, the so-called sharing the burden in the IDF”.

Gafne boasts the accomplishments of the chareidim as heads of the Knesset Finance Committee, and the need for concerning ourselves with the painful economic realities of today’s economy and the error of obsessing over the sharing the burden in the IDF, “which will never occur”.

Gafne exposes the hypocrisy of the parties who call for equality for women, questioning why in Knesset today there are only 27 women. He explained the chareidim admit women are not on their lists for their own reasons but those parties claiming to be liberal and equal are simply hypocrites for the Knesset should be at least half women “since at least half the population are women”.

Gafne told Michaeli “I am with you on the economy, equality and what you call feminism, which I call equality for women. I am with you on many issues, albeit from another hashkafa.” Gafne then quotes Michaeli from Haaretz, in which she praises the chareidim, their abilities to comprehend complicated and deep texts, and their lifestyle which includes these texts exclusively.

Gafne concluded with words of praise for the Labor Party, calling on the party leader and members to accept a position where the party can be influential, and if this is not the coalition, then from the opposition. “I don’t make light of remaining in opposition, but I feel in politics I believe we can be most influential from within the coalition if and when this is possible.”

See Rav Gafne’s address:

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(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)