The coalition deal formed between the UTJ party and the Likud in the early hours of Thursday morning includes a historical first – a UTJ minister will serve as a member of the elite political-security cabinet.
UTJ chairman Yitzchak Goldknopf, who will serve as the Housing Minister in the next government, will also serve as a member of the political-security cabinet as well as serving on various ministerial committees, including chairing a ministerial forum for kevurah (burial) issues.
In the past, UTJ leaders avoided involvement in political-security issues, preferring to focus on sectoral issues.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
I wonder how the general population will feel about having someone in the security cabinet whose primary goal will be to make sure that his own sons (and friends’ sons, and their friends’ sons, and their friends’ sons, etc) will never have to risk their own lives and instead make sure that burden is shifted to everyone else’s sons.
It’s about time!
UTJ has historically avoided getting involved in the security-political cabinet because they didn’t want to have to deal with security issues, and left those to the non-religious parties. The result is that the non-religious views UTJ and the Charedi public as nothing more than money grabbing hacks. It’s about time that the Charedi parties show that they DO care about security. Let the Gedolim of the various leaderships actually deal with issues such as hostage negotiations, security, police, etc. Having a clear voice that resonates with Da’as Torah speak about these issues will only make UTJ stronger.
did he even serve in the army itself and know how to load a M-16?
Perhaps there will be ONE frum YID who will do what the TORAH said and protect the life of a yid over a terrorist.
Because till now the Anti Torah governments have sent YIDDISH CHILDREN in danger (instead of bombing a place) in fear 😰 of what May the filthy NYT or Washington post or the “State Department” say…
The fact that he didn’t serve in the army perhaps is a benefit, his heart has not become COLD to the death and injuries to a Yiddisher brother or sister.
Wonderful. So now he will share responsibility for all government decisions and all government actions, including chilul shabbos and funding avoda zara. That’s the reason why the Agudah policy was always not to serve as ministers. A deputy minister is not a member of the government, and thus not responsible for everything it does. But the principle of cabinet government is collective responsibility; the government is the whole cabinet, of which the prime minister is merely first among equals, and every member must support all government decisions and bear responsibility for all government actions, or else resign. So now Goldknopf will be in that position, formally and officially accepting responsibility for things no frum Jew can support.
I see that many commenters don’t believe what the gemara tells us, that learning Torah IS military service, and protects the country more than soldiers do.
@Millhouse. Even if we do believe it, the chilonim and many frum do not. So putting a guy like this into that position is seen as a shtuch
Milhouse:
Umm … which gemara are you referring to — and how do you know it applies to every single person registered in any Kollel, no matter their accomplishments, no matter their abilities, and no matter how many hours (if any) they spend there?
I believe I know which geamra you have in mind and would welcome your pointing me to classical mefarshim that support your reading, as I am not aware of any.
Milhouse, please share the Gemora so that we can learn it.
The President of the USA is commander in chief even if he never served in the army.
Shlomo 2:
You have it backwards.
The Zionists invaded and messed up the Middle East (and beyond). The Zionists decided over a century ago that they were going to invade then-Palestine, because they wanted to have a “State”, regardless of the cost in lives.
So, if the Zionists want their “State”, then they can fight for it. But Jews have zero responsibility to any Zionist. The Zionist State is Zionist, not Jewish. Leave the Jews out of it.
Which gadol permitted this?
What does MK Goldknopf know about defense and security? Now, if it was some committee that deals with finance and economics….
Very awkward unless his party is willing to support conscription of yeshiva students, and on top of that his party is also demanding changes to the Law of Return that will call into question the Jewishness of many who are in the army (and undermine Israeli security by alienating the vast majority of American Jews since the typical American Jews is extremely un-frum and increasing likely to have non-Jewish relations).
There are several gemaras that are on topic. Start with the one that David’s participation in his wars was by staying home and learning Torah while Yoav did the fighting, and David’s role was more important than Yoav’s. Then consider the one that when taxing a city’s inhabitants to build a wall, or to hire guards, talmidei chachamim must be exempt because they don’t need protection since their Torah protects them. Then go to the one that says Asa was punished with gout because he drafted talmidei chachamim. Then the Rambam who says not only Leviyim but anyone who devotes himself to Torah study is a sort of honorary Levi and must be exempted from taxes.