Quote of the Day

The Likud is a home to the Haredi public as well. We have here a mass movement of educated women - it cannot be that they will not take your positions into account when it comes to the ballot box, you need to be represented... You need to build political power that will allow you to enter the large parties. I am in favor of the political strength growing from the bottom. Don't wait for them to open the door for you..

  -- Deputy Foreign Minister Tzippi Hotoveli, speaking at a conference of religious and Haredi businesswomen...

Hotoveli is telling the frum women that they should not wait or expect the Haredi parties to represent them on the issues they are concerned about, nor to integrate them into the Haredi political structure. Basically the Haredi woman remains without representation. Taxation without representation. Hotoveli is encouraging them to find a political home in the larger parties and grow a political base within the general parties instead of in the haredi parties.

Some will say in response that they are perfectly happy with the Haredi parties and all they care about from the government is dealing with issues such as money for yeshivas, yeshiva student exemptions from the IDF draft, increased shabbos observance and the other issues the Haredi parties deal with..and thy are not looking to get into politics or anything like that.

Others will ignore the issue, not wanting to start trouble even if they agree with the thought and idea.

Others will agree. That is how we get the increased phenomenon of Omer Yankelovitch running in the Blue and White party (Gantz-Lapid), Adina Bar Shalom starting a party, and a trickle of others. And the Haredi parties will blast them and attack them, so any women going that route will need a thick skin - and possibly the willingness to find new schools for their kids.

Either way, however many in the audience and general public agree or disagree with Hotoveli's sentiments, the Likud is clearly targeting new audiences. Their political partners will not be happy with this...

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