During an educator’s conference attended by directors and principals of chareidi mosdos hosted in the Kinar Hotel, a panel discussion was held including Aryeh Deri, Yaakov Litzman, and Moshe Gafne. Recent developments in the political community, especially within the chareidi camp, resulted in a stormy panel discussion.

Moshe Gafne accused Eli Yishai of harming chareidi education by listening to his rav instead of listening to the voice of the Shas Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah. “One who hears his rav’s voice and not that of the Moetzas Gedolei Hatorah causes damage by diminishing the political strength of chareidi parties but also cause damage to the education of children and the education of the coming generations”.

Gafne added the Torah Council has always dictated the actions of chareidi MKs and one in this position may not rely on the word of one rav as it suits him. He explained there is a Torah Council for Agudas Yisrael and Degel Hatorah, as is the case with Shas and they are to direct the elected officials on their paths.

Deri stated “the battle between Eli Yishai and myself what not about who would head the party. The argument surrounded values and chareidi Yiddishkheit and the character of the Torah community”.

Deri added “Without offending any rav or Torah giant, one may not say ‘I have my own rav’ when the situation is not pleasing to one. On a personal level, each one of us has a rav. On the public level, such an occurrence in unacceptable”.

When asked who he will recommend to receive the presidential mandate Deri stated “it does not make a difference who will be prime minister, Bibi or Boogie (Yitzchak Herzog)”. Deri feels Bibi has been in office in recent years and he doubts the situation could be any worse for the chareidi tzibur under Herzog. He added there was a time that they would migrate to Bibi automatically but the results were disappointing and now, he feels this decision should not be announced in advance, adding the alignment that exists between the chareidim and PM Netanyahu is not a “bris kedusha”.

Deri feels the economic concerns far outweigh the matter of induction into the IDF for he feels the tzibur will be moser nefesh to stand up the army and no one will serve against their will but having to live with the harsh economic sanctions is an entirely different matter. “How long can avreichim endure this? How long can they continue going without bread to eat? To my sorrow I have seen too many avreichim leave the study halls because they simply cannot afford to remain”.

Litzman added that the most corrupt of all is Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid. “Yair Lapid accuses everyone of corruption and only he remains clean. He claims to be the champion of fighting the corruption. For example, in a recent Knesset Finance Committee meeting Ofir Shelach shouted at us ‘you are all corrupt’.

“I asked the person in the treasury responsible when they prepared the allocation of funds? I learned this was done while Yair Lapid was still minister. Do you get it? Yair Lapid is the corrupt one!”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)