What appears to be an imminent agreement between Likud/Beitenu and Bayit HaYehudi and Yesh Atid is sending the chareidi parties into a somewhat frantic state. If indeed Likud/Beitenu signs with the two parties, it is all but certain that the chareidim will have to find their seats among the opposition parties, Labor and the Arabs.
An agreement is not expected to be signed before Shabbos and as such, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will visit President Shimon Peres on motzei Shabbos 20 Adar 5773 to ask for a 14-day extension as the 28-day presidential mandate to form a government expires on Shabbos.
Until the deal is signed however nothing is final and as such, no one in Yahadut Hatorah is making public statement accusing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of betrayal at this time. Party officials are aware it is too soon to declare war on the prime minister.
Kikar Shabbat quotes one Yahadut Hatorah official anonymously, explaining “in another 18 months there will be municipal elections throughout Israel and at that time, Bibi will be reminded of his betrayal of the chareidim. He understands full well what this means.”
Others are quoted as saying “We were the loyal coalition members during the last coalition and we deserve better.”
The chareidim are concerned that Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett is discarding the status quo on many issues of importance pertaining to religion and state, opting to wave one flag only, that of the ‘sharing the burden’.
Not everyone in Yahadut Hatorah is pessimistic, and some officials remain confident that they will reach agreement and enter the new coalition too.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
The hareidim can’t produce enough seats, whereas the right-center secular block can, so Likud has no choice. I doubt Netanyahu is happy about it, though many members of his party do have sympathy for the Bennett-Lapid positions.
The danger for Likud is that this is similar to 1977, and the whole system will be realigned permanently. Back then the ruling socialists very publicly “dissed” the Mafdal (the religious zionists, up to then a reliable partner with the socialists) by having a military ceremony on Shabbos. The event forced new elections, and when it was over, the new “natural alliance” were Likud (as we call it now) in alliance with the religious parties.
THe new world could feature the Hareidim in alliance with the left wing Jewish parties and perhaps the Arabs. If economic policy (support for a welfare state) and opposition to conscription are major issues, this is a natural alliance. For the last 40 years the socialists have been in opposition, hoping at best to get a small share of power from a Right-Center government (so well entrenched, that even the liberal breakways such as Sharon and Livni were all deeply rooted in the political right). Already many of the Labor party leaders have condemned “hareidi bashing” by the left, and this will be a new theme.
Bibi doesn’t want to give Yesh Atid so much power over his government.
Netanyahu really tried to bring the charedi parties( who he respects more than bayit yehudi)in,but he was foiled by Bennet & co.
Rav Shach foresaw this years ago
YWN leave off the yellow headlines for just once.
1.Instead of getting in,and being marginalized to one issue,the draft;
the ‘frum’ can now oppose on all fronts and fight the more important war of keepin’ the country traditonal.
2.The sympathy &’feel’ in the country at the moment for the ‘frum'(though the media is gonna work overtime to destroy and demolish it)
Turn it into a ‘pyhrric’ victory
3.Avoid all attacking of the ‘big srugot'(i.e.Mc”H types,settlers),they are unhappy and were misled as well
The evil wretched was ,is and has been for a long, long time, the ‘small srugot’
4.Avoid acting insulted ,sore and spurned
They want play; you’re more adept
The statement “Bibi will be reminded of his betrayal of the chareidim”is symptomatic of the blinders that some of the chareidi leaders seem to be wearing.
Let them take off their blinders and look around and see why the non-chareidi have so overwhelmingly voted in the last elections for parties that are opposed to the chareidi way. Let them look even closer and ask themselves that considering the humongous birthrate of the chareidim, why hasn’t their representation increased accordingly?
Bibi isn’t betraying them so much as trying to stay alive. If he gives in to the chareidim, his government is kaput!
Bennet is honest, no frills doing whats best for the country and for judiasm… the past 40 years of 1/2 the population working off the books cant go on…. he is NOT going to stop torah study of those really studying.. he is going to stop those pretending to be learning while they are really working cash jobs…. thats what this is all about…its not about chariedim in the army its about equal burden of everyone contributing in every way..
#6- the reason why they are working off the books is because the government makes it illegal to work unless you go to the army!!!
If Bennett REALLY wanted Chareidim in the army he would be sitting down with the Chareidi Rabbonim to outline all the criteria for the army to be the right enviroment without a detriment to their Yiddishkeit.. with the army already having a 20% rate of soldiers going off the derech that is the only right thing to do.