In an unprecedented move, the wives of MKs from Shas and Yahadut Hatorah have sent a letter requesting assistance from Mrs. Sara Netanyahu, wife of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The letter is signed by wives of the chareidi MKs, asking Mrs. Netanyahu to use her influence on her husband to stop the gezeiros directed against bnei yeshivos, which are causing significant anxiety in the chareidi community in Israel and in the Diaspora.
The women explain that as the wives of chareidi representatives they turn to her to use her influence in light of the dangers facing the community and the Torah world, leading to a split in the nation. “To our sorrow this is due to the decision by your husband, the prime minister, to impose criminal sanctions against lomdei Torah in the framework of the new draft law…”
“You were raised in a home that cherished the Torah and we appeal to you from this place” the letter adds. “Your father, R’ Shmuel Ben-Artzi z”l recognized and cultivated these values, of the people and the Torah. The Tanach was his heart, an educator and proud follower of the Norardok hashkafa. Understand the difficult feelings that exist now among the entire chareidi community, first and foremost by its spiritual leaders, the members of the Torah Council, the talmidei chachamim, addressing the consequences of the decision that was made to our sorrow by the prime minister”.
They continue asking Mrs. Netanyahu to exert her influence on her husband to back down from the decision. They add the decision to turn to her is unprecedented for כל כבודה בת מלך פנימה but today the battle cry is עת לעשות לה’. The wives point out if the law is passed Israel will become the first and only nation that will declare the study of Torah is a criminal act and the talmidim belong in prison.
They speak of the Jewish history and the role played in the past by women who saved the nation, citing that Purim is coming up and Esther played her vital role in that time.
The letter is signed by Yaffa Deri, Chana Gafne, Chavah Litzman, Esther Atias, Rochel Porush, Tzipi Yishai, Mazel Michaeli, Chana Moses, Peninah Cohen, Chana Maklev, Tziporah Vaknin, Miri Asher, Peninah Azoulai, Rivkah Nahari, Shoshana Margi, Bruriya Cohen, Sara Eichler and Shifra Ze’ev.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
The significance is that the leadership in the coalition, based on the secular media, doesn’t see this as a crisis. One reason is they believed the hareidi community was dependent on Israel welfare (rather than money from overseas) and had assumed that hareidi were basically super-nationalists similar to the settlers. Netanyahu and his party have a lot to lose if they permanently alienate the hareidi, so convincing him that a lot is on the line could lead to a resolution of the crisis.
kol hakavod to the ladies. May they be matzliech.
Will Netanyohu follow in the path of “On ben Peles? or in the path of Korach?
#1 People just asking other people to help out. Whats next, a million man march against wifes asking their husbands to help with the dishes??