Members of the Vaad Rabbonim who advise Bayit Yehudi party leader Naftali Bennett are pushing him to try to take control of the Ministry of Education, which was in the hands of Yesh Atid in the outgoing Knesset.
Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi Eitan Eiseman, Rabbi Isser Klonsky, and Rabbi Chaim Steiner explain to Bennett and faction members that the Education Ministry is a valuable asset, one that is important to the religious community as well as playing a vital role from a social aspect. These rabbonim and others including prominent public dati leumi personalities are urging Bennett to push for the portfolio, which also assumes responsibility for cultural activities and in their letter urge him to hear their words.
Bennett is still vying for the foreign or defense ministries, and he stands accused by some of putting his own personal career ahead of the needs of the dati leumi tzibur.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
1. D”L rabbis do not issue political directives to B”Y. It is not UTJ and that’s just not how it works.
2. At the moment, the main contender for the Education portfolio is Likud MK Tzipi Hotevely who is D”L and whose hashkafa is identical to that of B”Y. By all means let her have it.
#1 they do issue political directives, they do not give piskei din or threaten to put you in cherem. The minstry of education is something the D”L always wants since it involves the neshama of every Jewish child. I agree that it seems Bennet is looking for glory.
#2- A. Political directives: There are a few charda”l rabbis who have attempted to do so – with no success. The real eye opener came a few months ago when harav Dov Lior directed Tekuma to leave B”Y and Tekuma just voted not to do it. I can’t think of a D”L rabbi who has done so (certainly not as a shita) nor of any instance in which B”Y accepted such a political directive. Would you remind me?
B. Education portfolio: ‘The minstry of education is something the D”L always wants since it involves the neshama of every Jewish child’ – agreed! But how does that contradict my comment? MK Hotovely is as D”L as any of the B”Y MKs, she shares the same hashkafa and learns from the same rabbis. Why should B”Y fight her? On the contrary, they should back her for the position and seek a different one for Bennett, whose talents, education and experience are more suited to the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry or an economic ministry.