Signatories of public letter announcing support of ultra-right party include rabbis Dov Lior, Zvi Tau, and Shlomo Aviner, among others.
A group of senior rabbis from the religious Zionist movement announced Thursday it had withdrawn its endorsement of Habayit Hayehudi in the March 17 election in favor of Yahad, the party established recently by former Shas chairman Eli Yishai.
The announcement was in the form of an open letter published as an advertisement in the religious Zionist weekly BeSheva.
“At this time, we are called upon to make our calculations according to the Torah’s truth,” the letter said.
“Of all the tickets running for the next Knesset, there’s one whose representatives promise to listen to the Torah’s instructions on matters of principle in their leadership of the public, so as to maintain the state’s Jewish character, and with special attention to the integrity of the Land of Israel.”
The letter’s two most prominent signatories are rabbis Dov Lior, who resigned as the spiritual leader of Tekuma after the party decided to run on a joint ticket with Habayit Hayehudi again, as it did in the last election, and Nahum Neria, a yeshiva head whose father was Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria, one of the founders of religious Zionism.
Another noteworthy signatory is Rabbi Zvi Tau, head of Har Hamor Yeshiva. A founder of Yahad, Tau threatened to withdraw his support after the party agreed to run on a joint ticket with Baruch Marzel’s Otzma Yehudit.
Additional signatories include rabbis Amiel Sternberg, Shlomo Aviner and David Hai Hacohen; Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Temple Institute; and Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Kalev, the head of a private rabbinical court in Jerusalem and a former teacher in the religious Zionist movement’s flagship yeshiva, Mercaz Harav.
The letter was published just two days after Habayit Hayehudi, in an effort to keep “hardalim” (ultra-Orthodox religious Zionists) from deserting it for Yahad, set out its principles in a leaflet.
In it, the party, which is headed by Naftali Bennett, said it was loyal to its rabbis, committed to preserving the status of the Chief Rabbinate and opposed to any change in the religious status quo. It also praised the party’s one secular Knesset member, Ayelet Shaked, as someone who “fought more for the rights of Haredim than any other MK.”
Ironically, both the pro-Yahad open letter and Habayit Hayehudi’s leaflet have nearly identical headlines. The former’s is “The Torah of Israel, the nation of Israel, the Land of Israel! Without apologies or confusion.” The latter’s, “No more apologies — the Land of Israel, the nation of Israel, the Torah of Israel.”
@ yamit82:
I go a step further as the Kiryat Joel Satmar leader called on his Irish congressman to boycott BB’s speech. I think that when a Jew goes against Israel or the Jews it is much more damaging in that it fuels that terrible dragon of incitement. They dont care about the damage it might do to other Jews, they probably dont even think the other Jews are Jews.
I find Kahane very common sensical, easy to agree with and captivating. Once you start listening its hard to stop.
@ bernard ross:
Beards Carry No Immunity
http://www.geocities.ws/nkmpa/andjudahtoo.html
November 10, 1989
On Jews And Judaism
“And Judah too, shall fight against Jerusalem…” (Zechariah 14)
The briefest of hints, but a chilling one: that in the end of days, Judah, Jews, will join the gentile enemy in war against Jerusalem. And behold, we see it in our days. The self hating Jewish anti-Semite. The Jew who fights his own people, who joins with the enemy of Jerusalem in battle against Jerusalem.
yamit82 Said:
I am not seeing this….. the land of Israel to me is a matter of principles not application and the existence of so much anti zionism, and what I would call anti semitism, among the orthodox is very disheartening for me. To me rabbi’s are men and too many of them have been found to be corrupt to consider then to be more than men and too many calling themselves religious Jews behave unacceptably for my taste to consider them religious.
@ yamit82:
It is sad that Kahane was killed as israel and the Jews need leaders like him. Is there anyone in Israel like him? I got the impression he was gaining in following and became a big threat to Israeli and US interests. I had forgotten how he was first in so many things like the Soviet Jewry issues and the JDL. He was demonized and I wonder if his killers, likely not the one who pulled the trigger, did succeed in removing his influence in Israel. I would not be surprised if he was killed by his own nation, both of them.
yamit82 Said:
although I find Kahane impressive and informative it does not really clear up the issue for me. He explained his position well and I agreed with much of what he said but it still leaves the confusion that completely opposing conclusions can be reached with all claiming to be “Torah true”. The result for me is that with the current logic “Torah truth” appears to be variable and relative to the reader. In this situation anyone can buttress his views by claiming it to be “Torah truth”.
I consider their positions to be dangerous to other Jews. Their cavorting with the Jew killers and their repeated attempts to defame and delegitimize other Jews in my opinion puts them “beyond the pale” both figuratively and literally. When folks arrive in stereotypical 18th century Polish fashions and condemn Israel and the Jews they are inciting anti semitism in the goyim. I do not accept that there can be a Jewish case for their anti semitic incitement, there is no reason to consider that they have a Jewish case anymore than neo nazis. Having a position and overtly engaging in incitement against Israel and Jews are two different things. I do not accept that their behavior has a Jewish case. There are leftists and muslims accusing Israel of killing babies and they point to these “jews” as their support.
@ yamit82:
I remember Kahane as a very clear minded individual who was able to influence lots of people including the young. Listening to all his talks is as if he had been able to read the future. A down to earth holy man. They kill him because he was effective. What a great loss.
@ yamit82:
Do you Daven Yamit? Do you participate in morning prayers? Are you part of a minyan? Just wondering.
@ bernard ross:
I posted this in the past and you probably saw it but I advise you to do so again if you have and this time pay attention because it pretty much explains all or most of your confusion and misunderstandings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oguHBnL5UYc&list=PLF02B180A3309D74A
bernard ross Said:
No, not anymore. Begin destroyed it and BB and Sharon buried it long ago.
@ bernard ross:
Good point! This was a topic of discussion at Torah study this past week. We did come to some conclusions. As part of the Orthodox community we are also splintered and need to resolve our own issues first before we have any right ‘correcting’ others.
I realize that I am probably a woman ahead of my time as I see things differently – but yet I find these differences are most welcome to those who are trying to preserve our heritage without compromising it. A difficult balance.
I think my Rabbi and I both understand that men and women were made in G-ds image – we are a reflection. We need to set ourselves apart from false doctrine. That does not mean we do not mingle with non Jews – it means we do not allow ourselves to be replaced with xmas trees, and crosses. We keep the Torah and Star of David as our symbolism.
@ bernard ross:
In orthodox Judaism one follows his rebbe or Godol each one calls it as he sees it or understands it…If you disagree you change your rebbe and or Godol. There is no coercion just trust in your rebbe that he is correct and you follow his advice. When yu can’t you are free to leave. Basically that’s how it works…… You won’t find any differences among them on principles only their applications.
You cannot hold up Satmar and Nutrei Carta as examples as they are fringes and have comparatively few adherents… Yet their position from a torah perspective is not wrong just misguided and misinterpreted but they can make a valid Jewish case for their positions. I don’t agree with them but that’s Judaism.
I think that is what all religious groups say. does their “Torah truth” coincided with the “true Torah” satmars, nk and anti zionist ultra orthodox? Which “true Torah” Jewish groups does HaShem endorse? I am always confused by the religious sector as they all appear to be “true Torah” Jews but appear to have opposite conclusions.
yamit82 Said:
I thought BY was zionist(land for Israel), at least they were for getting area C and working covertly for a&b in the future and had a real possibility of influencing gov in that direction. However, now I see a splintering of the zionist right and a diminishing of BY. In this case I see BY of being of less importance to Likud. I saw BY as the coalition choice partner for BB not because of ideology or platform but because they would not demand a rotating PM and they would be more compliant than the left and center. However, if BY seats go significantly down then BB has to cobble more seats togethe and I dont see him bringing in this party unless they dont demand too much. Also, with a diminished BY the possibility of BB moving left in my view increases. I did not envision him forming a coalition gov with labor before but with seats dropping off on his right he would need more in the center or left to enter gov, and I do believe he wants to be in gov. Therefore, I now see a possibility of BB going in with labor. Also, I don’t see his platform as a zionist or right wing platform except economically. He appears to be moving to understanding and cooperation with the gulf monarchies and that would require his moving towards the left wrt land, if even a little bit. I see BB more as a nationalist non zionist whee land is not that important to him except for security purposes, similar to the positions of the center and left. Zionism(land for Israel) does not appear to me to be a very popular position in Israel; more of a minority position. Also, it appears to me to always be a problem as religious zionists are unlikely to coalesce with secular zionists.
Is there such a thing as a secular, zionist(land for Israel) party in Israel?
I predicted that Yehai with Otzma would get between 5-7 mandates if not more. In the last elction they were only a few thousand votes short of placing 2 Mk now thwerir support along with Yeshai and many of feiglins followers will garner them much more than the public pundits are predicting.
This will be the only real Zionist party running in the Knesset and will afford kahana supporters to get in the Knesset through the backdoor then they might even take over the party. Not sure they will want to support BB and the Likud or that BB wants them. He might need them but doesn’t want them. If they withhold supporting a Likud government then the thing is wide open. I have had one telephone election survey already and 3 Eli Yishai robbo calls asking for support last week. None from any other party.
Somebody is working hard below the radar.
BB managed to oust finally Feiglin now he might have to accept Baruch Marzel (He used to be a friend of mine when I was in Yamit Getting interesting.
Ironic BB got rid of feiglin and may lose because supporters of feiglin support Oztama and Eli Yeshai.
Otzma videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU1J3T6AFWY&spfreload=1
Sad. This just shows again how short-sighted these rabbis are. Of course, among the candidates of BY there are those who do not observe the 613, and YES, BY made serious mistakes, BUT to think that Eli Yishai will stop Netanyahu from surrendering to the pressure from Obama and from the Israeli press is short-sighted: Yishai stopped NOTHING: He agreed to the Oslo, the the abandonment of Gush Katif …
Does it imply that E Yishai would reject ANY offer from Herzog-Livni team?