The Mysteriously Missing Religious Alliance
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While the Lapid-Bennett alliance is still holding strong, much to Netanyahu’s consternation, recriminations are flying between the religious parties as to why no religious political bloc formed instead, which would have given the religious parties more power in negotiations with the Likud.
According to a report in the online Hareidi paper, Kikar Shabbat, MK Uri Ariel (Jewish Home) claimed that the Hareidi parties refused to join together with them to create a religious alliance.
MK Meir Porush (UTJ) responded and said that they sat with the Jewish Home, both before and after the election to discuss the idea, but never got an answer.
Porush said they offered to work in strengthening the settlements, and to look out for the needs of the National-Religious, and in exchange, Jewish Home would work to protect Yeshiva students [from the draft].
Porush claims that Bennett promised to think it over and give them an answer, but he never received a response.
Porush left a door open and said that perhaps Bennett requires more time to think over the offer, and not that he is refusing their offer completely.
Porush also dismissed the claims that it was Rav Shteinman that “ripped up” the cards, after he refused to support the idea of a religious bloc with Jewish Home, and even going so far as refusing to meet with National-Religious rabbis in his home to discuss the idea. Porush said that the Degel HaTorah faction inside the UTJ gave a “green light” to protect Torah learning and the offer is still there.
On Monday, the Hareidi Hebrew Mishpacha newspaper ran an article entitled, ”Migron [settlement] in Exchange for Ponovitch [yeshiva]” and “Haredi Price Tag”.
Mishpacha claimed in the article that senior members of UTJ said they would work to destroy the settlements if the Bennett-Lapid alliance isn’t broken, as it endangers Torah learning, and that “Torah learning is more important than the Land of Israel”.
The article didn’t discuss how their “retaliatory” price tag attack would affect their own Hareidi constituents in all-Hareidi settlements such as Beitar Ilit, Modiin Ilit and Tel Tzion.
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What is Torah study without the land of Israel and the people in the land? All Torah study points toward and is supported by that eventuality, as proof of the covenant. Israel is not perfect, sure, but point to a man who is perfect. We only become perfect through the brucha, not through the herem. Jews who curse the Jew who is not like them, are they not under a curse then. Even the blindest of the blind should be able to see this. If He blesses, who can undo it? And if He curses who can prevail against it? He doesn't need the curses of even the most pious.
B"H PUT ASIDE EGOS! Middle East Peace Research ran a campaign prior to the elections urging the formation of a "National Unity Bloc"..this would be and can still be a powerful religious bloc of 31 seats comprising Shas, UTJ & Habayit Yehudi.It's still not too late! Our you Tube video explaining the concept of the "National Unity Bloc" can be found on our website http://www.middleeastpeaceresearch.org.
We urge these parties to put aside their "egos" and think of the thousands of Jews that could be affected by the formation of a PLO State.
Moshe ElkmanDirector http://www.middleeastpeacersearch.org.
It isn't egos, it is profound differences in public policy issues and a lack of respect. For example, UTJ wants to uproot settlements and wants a massive welfare state — they have more in common with Meretz — while Jewish Home is much more free market oriented today. Shas is also a big supporter of a very generous welfare state, and the leader of the Shas party leader publicly called Jewish Home a party of gentiles. On the other side, most supporters of Jewish Home are religious and serve in the IDF or Sherut Leumi and see no reason why that should not be the rule for almost all religious Jews. The Datim also object to the hostile takeover of the Rabbinate by a sector that doesn't respect the Rabbinate.
I hope this can be worked out, but it doesn't look good.