MK Yaakov Asher, a former Bnei Brak mayor, has come out against efforts to close Yeshivas Shar HaTalmud. Asher spoke to Kol Berama Radio host Noam Zeigman, explaining if this was taking place in a non-frum city, the headlines would be shouting over the closure of the yeshiva.

He was full of criticism of Mayor Zeibert and questioned how the situation has reached the present reality. “Something like this should not occur in Bnei Brak. If there were cases in the past, we knew how to find the golden path”.

Asher also spoke of the criticism from within Yahadut Hatorah surrounding Gafne’s efforts to block the Jerusalem Law. He explained “With all due respect, we are not rubber stamps as is the case with others. There are things that must learn – the party says we wish to probe this and we are asking for a week to check into it. So what happened? Because it is Bayit Yehudi we must jump to attention?

“Do we have to have a crisis over this within Yahadut Hatorah? With all due respect! Anything to do with handing over territories there is the Referendum Law that was passed in Knesset so in any case, it cannot happen but it is something declarative. We are not part of the schedule that insists things happen today. it does not work this way. As others tried to save achdus with the Reform, and we wish to check things out. So what happened? We are not opposed to the law. We aren’t leftists. Over this we have to have grief inside Yahadut Hatorah, Asher asked as the machlokes continues between Gafne and Litzman.

Zeigman: After stating “we aren’t leftists”, Asher was asked about Gafne’s comments during the Haaretz Conference, when he explained “Gedolei Yisrael of Degel Hatorah are not leftists and were not leftists…Just look at our voting record. We work based on Daas Torah…We are not leftists”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)