Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu met with national Zionist religious leaders in his office today in order to thank them for their support while many others are protesting against the government. Among the Rabbinic leaders whom the Prime Minister met with were Rabbi Chaim Druckman, Rabbi David Stav and Rabbi Eli Sadan. “Your support is incredibly important during these times, and I wish to express my recognition of it publicly,” said the Prime Minister. “This is especially true in light of the political pressure being weighed against the government via protests and other methods of attempting to break up the nationalist coalition government who is working to protect the national interests of the State of Israel,” he added.

The Prime Minister pointed to historical experiences and recognized that such support was not always given freely. “We have not always been able to withstand such attempts (to bring down a nationalist-minded government). One time, in 1992, such attempts to bring down the government succeeded. This time we will make sure that they do not succeed. I believe that we have all learned from our experiences and none of us are foolish enough to be duped by these attempts. I therefore wish to express my respect for each of you and strengthen our resolve together, man-to-man. Thank you all.”

Netanyahu told the gathered Rabbis that he does not believe that the Attorney General will bring the case against him to trial. He also said that he does not believe that this is a personal attack being carried out against him, but rather a political maneuver. Wit that, some of the gathered rabbis criticized the Prime Minister for only “remembering them” during an election season or during a time of political crisis.

Rabbi Eli Sadan said of Netanyahu, “A Jewish person such as yourself, who has been involved with the government for the past 20 years could easily be making 10 or even 100 times what you are earning in political office. To say that there is a problem because you accepted a cigar? If it weren’t humorous it would be a scandal the likes of which we have never seen before. This is wild abandonment of leadership and it is corrupt. People want to change the government in this fashion because they can’t succeed at doing it in the polls.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)