Once again Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett has put his foot in his mouth. Bennett’s party dropped four seats in recent polls due to his botched appointments to the party’s Knesset ticket and his latest statements have led to rabbinical condemnations.
In his latest faux pas Bennett announced his party is following in the path of Rav Kook. It did not take too long for HaGaon HaRav Dov Lior Shlita to say “It is very difficult to call this a religious party”. His words were echoed by HaGaon Rav Shlomo HaKohen Aviner Shlita and HaGaon Rav David Chai HaKohen Shlita.
Bennett made his remarks during a Tuesday, 14 Shevat visit to southern Israel, explaining his party is acting in line with Rav Kook’s vision and hashkafa.
Rav Lior added in the past they would at least confer with rabbonim, but even this is no longer true. “It is difficult to call this a religious party, perhaps traditional” he added.
Rabi David Chai HaKohen, who along with Rav Lior now back the Yachad party added, “Yachad plans to fulfill the vision of Rav Kook”.
Rav Aviner stated “Yachad is working to be “A servant of H’ and His people Israel and this will certainly root bracha from Avodas H’, the people and the land”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
Wow, and weeks ago when Yishai opened the party on the premise of uniting the Chareidim and Dati le’umi, many thought he was nuts…
Glad he has proven them wrong!
“Rav Lior added in the past they would at least confer with rabbonim ”
Rav Lior could have made a stronger statement. Many of the founders of the National Religious Party were rabbis themselves; the main founder was Rabbi Dr. Yosef Burg, who had earned Yoreh Yoreh and Yadin Yadin semicha from the Hildesheimer Rabbinical Seminary when Rabbi Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg was the Rosh Yeshiva.
BY will be cascading downwards!
#2- Rav Lior presumably was referring to the Bayit Hayehudi party, which is not the same as the now- defunct Mafda”l.