The three main contenders in the upcoming presidential race in Israel include MK Reuven Rivlin, MK Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Minister Silvan Shalom. All three are viewed as potential recipients of backing from chareidi parties.
Rivlin:
As a resident of Yerushalayim with roots tracing back to tzaddikim of the Old Yishuv, Rivlin, a Yiddish speaker, is perhaps the most likely to enjoy chareidi support. However, he and the chareidim are not naïve and his fluency in Yiddish and traditional lifestyle assure him of nothing regarding chareidi support.
Political analyst Avi Rosen points out that both he and Silvan Shalom have been signaled not to come to Bnei Brak to meet with Gedolei Hador at present for they may encounter opposition in the streets due to their vote on the draft bill.
Rivlin was out of Israel when the vote took place on the draft law. He was fulfilling a commitment made months in advance, so some believe this works in his favor, having not voted for the draft law.
Rivlin has been an MK since 1988. Cabinet appointments include Minister of Communications as well as Knesset speaker. He is also a veteran of the old Likud guard, viewed as an ideological elder of the Likud party.
While Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu betrayed Rivlin by supporting Yuli Edelstein as Knesset speaker in this Knesset, Rivlin is viewed as the party’s ideological elder and betraying him in his bid for presidency may not be acceptable to Rivlin’s strong party support. Rivlin hoped to remain Knesset speaker in this Knesset for he was aware running for president as speaker would have significantly worked in his favor.
Shalom:
Silvan Shalom is current serving as Minister of Energy & Water as well as Regional Development.
Shalom is the prime minister’s political nemesis, someone who is a constant threat regarding his desire to usurp the prime minister as Likud party leader. Hence, backing him for presidency might put Shalom in a non-threatening place for the next seven years, a good reason for the prime minister to betray Rivlin again to get rid of Shalom and place him in the President’s Residence.
Shalom has been a MK since 1992, always in Likud. His cabinet appointments include Minister of Science, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation, National Infrastructure and his current post. He was also a deputy defense minister.
In a new development, Shalom now stands accused of harassing a female who worked with him, an incident that reportedly occurred 15 years ago. This breaking incident this week leads some to question if the story is planted to disqualify him from the presidential race.
Ben-Eliezer:
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer is the Labor opposition party candidate. That means if elected, it would signal a major victory for opposition leader MK Yitzchak Herzog, simultaneously resulting in significant embarrassment for the prime minister. Both are reasons for chareidim to back him in the current hostile anti-chareidi political climate.
Ben-Eliezer is welcome in chareidi circles, including Litvish Gedolei Torah as well as chassidic courts. In actuality, Ben-Eliezer recently met with the Belzer Rebbe Shlita, and while it is reported he did not receive any promises, the meeting was said to have been cordial.
Ben-Eliezer has been a MK since 1984. Cabinet appointments include Minister of Housing, Communications, Defense, National Infrastructure, Industry and Trade. He is a retired IDF brigadier-general.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
Here’s a revolutionary thought: Instead of worrying about who they will vote for en masse, or who they will be directred to vote for, why not have each and every eligible chareidi voter exercise their bechira, using their innate yiddishe seichel; the hashpo’oh they received from their parents; the excellent education they received through the sacrifice of families, leaders, and teachers in tremendous Torah institutions; and finally, what they perceive the needs of the kehillah and all of the Jewish brothers and sisters they live beside will be?
I don’t understand!! When the Jews were in the camps, was there a distinction between whether you were “Modern Orthodox” or whether you were “Chareidi”? Why do we do this to ourselves?
Rivlin it will be!!!
especially since he is presently an adversary to Bibi, the Charadim will want to punish Bibi by supporting him. Politics is mud!!!
To #1:
The President of Israel is elected by the Knesset, not by the general populace.
zachweix
sadly the hate is coming from the direction of the “Modern Orthodox” as opposed to the “Chareidim” hating the “Modern Orthodox”,
yichusdik,
why does bechira apply here more than anything else, people ask their rav numerousb shaylohs which is their bechira, people get recomendations for numerous things which is their bechira
zach,
there were no mo in the camps and i wouldnt be suprised if reform and conservative jews defferentiated from chareidim
Getzel, I don’t claim to label myself as a specific type of Jew, but the hate is coming from both sides.
Coffee Addict, I didn’t mean to say specifically those two. I just meant that I highly doubt that the Jews in general cared what type of Jew they were when they were in the camps. They were all equally persecuted. Even now, do you think that Iran is going to say that they only will kill certain types of Jews? Why is that we need to have people that want to kill us in order for us to unite and realize that we’re all Jews.
This comment probably would have been better in a different setting to better show my Svarah