(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
The following is a report filed by Akiva Weiss for KAN News, showing a Thursday night gathering in an eatery in Bnei Brak with Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotevely and representatives of the chareidi faction in the Likud party.
Yaakov Wider and some of his colleagues met with Hotevely as party of efforts by Likud leaders to hold on to and attract additional chareidi voters. Wider explains most chareidim live abroad and they do not vote for chareidi parties and he and his colleagues feel the same can be true here. Wider heads the Likud branch in Bnei Brak and says he is proud of the party.
17% of voters from Elad did not select a chareidi party in 2009, and this number increased to 25% in the 2015 elections. Similar numbers reflect voting in Betar Illit, with 11% voting non-chareidi in 2009 and 17% in 2015. While the numbers are significantly less, the same is true for Modi’in Illit wit 4% non-chareidi voting in 2009, increasing to 7% in 2009.
It is believed that with the increase in the number of chareidim obtaining a higher education, voter changes may follow. 1,000 chareidim were registered in colleges and universities in Israel in 2003, as opposed to 3,900 in 2010 and 10,800 in 2016.
The politicians view the Likud chareidim as ‘modern’ chareidim, middle class working professionals and they are hoping and working towards attracting additional voters from the chareidi camp in the next elections. Machane Tzioni leader Eli Gabbai explains “For chareidim there are things in life that are important and it is not all about Shabbos. There is more to life.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
Not good news for those who believe that as Chareidim’s population increase, so too will their group think & iced Kool- Aide slurpie drinking . There’s no guarantee that their offspring will march like wooden soldiers and fall in line as per commands by leadership. Quite encouraging, I think.
“For chareidim there are things in life that are important and it is not all about Shabbos. There is more to life.”
Wrong. Shabbos is life.
“March like wooden soldiers and fall in line as per commands.”
Stam rishus and slander. Why do idiots feel the need to comment so abusively? Chareidim are highly intelligent, by and large, and are trained to think independently. Have you ever been to a Reform Temple or Conservative Synagogue? “Please rise”. ” please be seated”. “Turn to page X in your Siddur. THOSE people are like sheep, blindly following their “Rabbi” – compare that to any Shiur given by a Chareidi Rov! People screaming and arguing with him. Wooden soldiers? Feh.