After a few weeks of consideration and rumors, Rav Amnon Yitzchak has finally announced the formation of his new political party, The Power To Influence. According to Kikar, Rav Yitzchak said that after being asked repeatedly by his students and fans why he doesnt go to elections for the government and even to become prime minister, he decided to announce that he is doing so. He predicts double-digits of number of seats he will win, but he says that before he has even done any work the polls are already showing him with a minimum of at least 5 or 6 seats.
While he has not announced his party's platform on various issues yet, it seems he is not going to ignore the security issues like many of the small or new parties do when trying to focus on a niche sector, but he immediately spoke about his thoughts on the peace process. He says we need to speak straightforward with the enemy, and not let Obama decide for us and pressure us into doing things. A leader must serve the needs and desires of his people and not listen to world leaders who say things based on their own interests.
Had he not discussed this, I would have assumed his platform would consist of banning iphones and musicians..
In response to Rav Yitzchak's announcement, Satmar has said they will immediately halt the flow of donations to the Shofar organization (headed by Rav Amnon Yitzchak). (source: Kikar)
It seems that in the Satmar community they are fond of Rav Yitzchak and a significant amount of money is donated to him from Satmar because of that fondness. The question is why they find him so appealing. While some say it is because of his great work in bring people back to Judaism, others say it is because in his speeches he commonly denigrates the Zionists and secular politicians, making them into a joke, and that serves the interests of Satmar.
I don't know what voters Koach L'Hashpia will target. Will he target haredim, attempting to pull frm Shas and maybe UTJ? Will he go to the crowds that go to his speeches - the young people from traditional backgrounds who are not religious?
It looks to me like even the protest vote is going to be diluted in this election. With all these offbeat parties opening up, none of the parties hoping to win the protest vote might get enough votes to make it in...
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This isn't a joke?
ReplyDeletedoesnt seem to be
ReplyDeleteHard to imagine a Rabbi less suitable for public office than Amnon Yitzhak.
ReplyDeleteIf he gets 5-6 setas, and the Na-Na Chasidim get the 9 seats that they are predicting, this may be one of the most colorful knessets in Israel's history.
The expression "like mushrooms after the rain" comes to mind. If there's any good that can come out of this, it's that the people might get exasperated with all these ridiculous little boutique parties, and instead give their votes to the 2 major parties - Likud and Labor. Might make for some more governability.
ReplyDeleteProving yet again that in order to start a Sephardic political party in Israel, you must have 2 first names...
ReplyDeleteI am no mathematician, but it seems to me that if one counted all the predictions and polls together, one would determine that the Knesset had about 200 or so seats up for vote...
ReplyDeleteMore what it tells me is that there's a significant swing vote that will choose any boutique party that the pollster offers it. With any luck, the swing voters will distribute their ballots roughly evenly, and all the piddly little nonsense parties will fail to cross the minimum threshold.
DeleteYaak - are "Deri" and "Amsalem" first names?
ReplyDeleteHe probably meant (Rav) Ovadya Yosef and Eli Yishai - of course, Eli Yishai didn't start Shas, but for that matter neither did Aryeh Deri.
Deletedidnt Rabbi Shach start Shas? :-)
DeleteI think that one of Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak's strengths in Kiruv was the fact that he was not officially attached to any political party. I hope that he changes his mind and does not enter politics.
ReplyDeletebtw, on his website, shofar.net, he is asking people to sign up that they will vote for his party and to possibly help in various ways.. http://www.shofar.tv/articles/9055
ReplyDeleteso I guess it is as authentic as can be.
I suspect Rav Amnon Yitzchak will not himself be head of the party and go into Knesset (assumign they pass the threshhold), but he will be its leader similar to Rav Ovadia Yosef, and will choose the Knesset list made up of of other people... but thats just my guess right now...
go for it amnon
ReplyDelete