Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett is showing support for his party is waning as he bungled a number of appointments pertaining to the party’s lineup for the 20th Knesset elections.
In a radio interview with Kol Berama Radio on erev Shabbos Parshas Bo, Bennett had harsh words for his former Knesset ally Yair Lapid and Lapid’s disdain and attacks against the chareidi tzibur. Bennett explained that at first he believed Lapid’s intentions were honorable but months later he realized this was not so and that he clearly wanted to target chareidim. “At first I thought his intentions were good but I realized I had erred. The chareidim were delivered a hard blow and when I realized his intentions were to strike out at the chareidim I tried to minimize the damage”.
Bennett added that following elections he does not see building a coalition government that does not include the chareidim.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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9 Responses
What comes to mind is all the Nazis who blamed someone else for the holcaust, and pointged out they had saved a Jewish friend or relation.Bennett was why Lapid was in the government. Bennett was why the “share the burden” law passed. He is and was the problem. He has not come out publicly (meaning when speaking to non-frum Jews) for calling off the war against the hareidm.
To include Yahadut ha-Torah and Shas, a coalition will have to offer to cancel the threat of criminal sanctions for draft resistance. If a Likud led isn’t able to make such an officer, there will be Labor coaltion (including Meretz and the Arab parties) that might make the same and with hareidi votes might form a government (many of whose policies will be “very bad” from Bennett’s perspectives).
1.Many of us were less “naive” .
Oh,google or YWN search his comments against charedim before the Bet Shemesh elections
2. what he has done against Judaism?
Even as we speak, he dropped Yehudit shilat from the 15 slot to #20 and replaced her with Anat Roth ,since she was too “stridently homophobic”
His savvy sheker reeks
I see Bennett admitting he made a mistake in judgement, but how about an apology to the Chareidim and a commitment to do everything in his power to make amends and undo the damage he was a part of.
I see nothing specific that he is accepting responsibility for, only that he tried to minimize the damage. He could have totally prevented it. All he had to do was tell Netanyahu that Jewish Home will leave the coalition unless Lapid’s party is replaced with the Chareidim. He could have done this at anytime, had he wanted to. So it seems very disingenuous now, and just for political reasons as he seems to be losing seats, and now wants to curry favor with the Chareidim.
Israel Hayom
Dr. Gabi Avital
Strange bedfellows indeed
In the roundabout way of all politics, a strange alliance formed many months ago between Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid.
“My brother,” they called each other, and Habayit Hayehudi voters saw a path freeing them from ultra-Orthodox coercion. After so many years of haredim sitting in various governments, Yesh Atid voters had seen the light. Some people saw the clouds parting and the scourge of draft-dodging dissipate. Still others believed we would forever be rid of parasitical behavior and sponging off of taxpayers.
The current coalition was made possible due to the alliance between these two young and energetic politicians. The question should have arisen: What is the meaning of this alliance? Where does it stand when it comes to the covenant with God, and the religious character of the state, to which most voters of Habayit Hayehudi subscribe?
First of all, the enthusiasm of many voters in Habayit Hayehudi, like others who voted Yesh Atid following its rose-colored disinformation campaign, stems from a desire to stick it to the haredim.
There has been long-standing ingratitude by the right-wing nationalistic political leadership, even before Bennett’s time, toward the haredim. National religious leaders have forgotten that right-wing governments were established thanks to haredi parties, particularly in the previous government.
On the eve of the establishment of the present government, Yesh Atid members stated clearly: “We will vote for the evacuation of outposts, we will vote for freezing construction, we will support peace negotiations, we will vote for cutting budgets to settlements.” And this is what happened. A veto by a representative of Yesh Atid in the Knesset Finance Committee prevented the transfer of funds to settlements, which are Habayit Hayehudi’s most precious project.
The issue of religion and state is a land mine destined to explode as long as the government retains its current composition. Efforts by Yesh Atid politicians to draft yeshiva students, as well as their plan to alter the structure and function of the Chief Rabbinate, are characterized by a childish lack of patience and moderation.
(There is nothing more dangerous in human relations than abrupt corrections. Even if I agree with all the reasons why yeshiva students should be drafted, if it means putting people in jail, then the ends don’t justify the means. There is an evolution underway in haredi society, one that is intentionally hidden from the public eye..
Large parts of haredi society acknowledge this sickness and are working toward a cure. But cutting off a limb is the opposite of healing. This is what Yesh Atid politicians aspire to do, along with national religious MKs who fell into their trap.)
Efforts by the national religious community to be universally liked have failed time after time. Do they not realize there is such a thing as baseless persecution and hatred? By logic, all the reasons for hating haredim do not apply to the national religious. Except that Yair Lapid’s words after the disengagement — “We wanted to show you who’s boss” — tell us everything we need to know.
We can do without this alliance. Without it, all the problems of Israeli society and haredi society would shrink down to their proper dimensions.
“My brother” is a phrase used by Golani Brigade soldiers to express camaraderie on the battlefield. It shouldn’t be used between elected representatives whose world views are diametrically opposed.
So very interesting how each reader/commenter reachs for particular articles, events, behaviors to back their specific agendas & throws the baby & bath water down the sewer.
Go goggle the last coalition maneuvers & U will find that when Bayit Yehudi called upon SHAS to negotiate & partner in the last Knesset. King Deri refused to speak or met with the “so called enemy” Bennett. SHAS turned its back & refused to talk to BY, then & only then was a failed partnership bt Yesh Atid & BY FORMED.
Do any of the first four posts live in Israel. If you did, you’d know that Bennett was telling the truth. He did minimize the damage for Chareidim and countered lots of Lapid’s plans.
Where does it say that Chareidi politicians are infallible? There are serious problems in the Chareidi world, some of which harms the public at large too. Just because someone disagrees with Chareidim on certain issues, doesn’t make them “anti-Torah” or “trying to destroy Torah,” etc. or any other attack phrases used.
There are very similar disagreements within the Chareidi world too. Part of the problem with people’s perspectives on these issues is the scorched earth policy employed by Chareidi politicians to avoid dealing with some serious issues.
The chareidi politician’s answer to poverty in their communities is to be a further burden on a public that is struggling themselves and this breeds resentment. How else could a nothing like Lapid have done so well in the last election?
There needs to be some genuine soul searching and stop pointing fingers at others for problems that are self inflicted.
For the expected response, NO, I’m not against Torah learning or even full-time Torah learning. I do have a problem with the fakers who aren’t really learning and those who are registered as full-time Kollel students but are really working in Chinuch or someplace else. That’s gineiva and it takes away from those truly deserving or those in need.
#5
Well..Tell that to Ayelet Shaked
She admitted candidly that it was THEY ,rather than the charedim who refused.
#6
Reread your OWN comments from a year or two back.
#6
iirc Was there a single mention in my posts about Yeshivos
We’re talking about the leader of the “party” whose proclaimed raison d’etre and whose professed explanation for the countless “compromises” that are being/have been made ,is that they (and you as a supporter) are protecting Judaism for the country as a whole !
Well?
#6 It is hardly your business ,but my home till a couple of years ago..was in isreal
What about you?