Marking a year since the petira of Minister of Senior Citizen Affairs (Bayit Yehudi) Uri Orbach z”l, Rabbi Chaim Amsalem, who heads the Am Shalem party, explains why efforts to team with the dati leumi party in the last elections were unsuccessful.

Speaking to the dati leumi Srugim website, Amsalem explained “the tzibur at large was acquainted with Orbach as a witty and opinionated journalist and publicist but I knew him in Knesset where we spend many many hours together…”

He reminded Srugim that during his tenure in the Shas party, a “holy war was launched against me over my opinions and I often responded in defense of myself explaining ‘it is permitted to think differently’ and we [Orbach] became good friends”.

Amsalem explains that Orbach worked very hard towards the union with Am Shalem, with the rabbi explaining “Today I can reveal that during the tenure of MK Zevulun Orlev as head of the party, he believed in running on a single combined platform”, adding “for the most party, with the exception of the Sephardi chareidim whom have become Ashkenazized, that tzibur is closer to the classic dati leumi than it is to classic chareidi”. Amsalem explains that unfortunately, the first round of his illness prevented Orbach from doing more and the union did not actualize. Amsalem adds that following elections Orbach tried again, this time via Bennett and Shaked and he once again took ill, this time losing the battle.

Amsalem adds “He always said ‘your place is among us’ and I felt comfortable with him despite our different approaches”.

In his hesped for Orbach, Amsalem adds that Orbach’s death has left a large void in the dati leumi community for “Uri represented honesty and integrity, common sense, an ability to address those whom are different, religious moderation amid strict adherence to mitzvos, but he was prematurely called by his Creator as he filled his days trying to faithfully carrying out his mission”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)