This situation with the Draft Law and the elections has taken a strange turn..

Itamar Ben Gvir and Betzalel Smotritch just pulled some nice shtick. Ben Gvir took his party out of the government coalition (over the hostage deal) but did not really want to give everything up. To remind you, initially Otzma and Hatzionut ran together on a joint list. That meant that when the jobs were given out, some of the MKs came in as a result of the Norwegian Law from alternating parties. They split up after the election but still, MKs from each party served as a result of the other party.

Rav Dov Landau, one of the two leading rabbonim of Degel Hatorah, doesn't like what he has been seeing, what we have all been seeing, over the past few weeks since the war began on Simchas Torah with the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.

Rav Dov Landau, one of the leading rabbonim of Degel Hatorah today (since the recent death of Rav Gershon Edelstein, Rav Landau shares the leadership mantle with Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch) laid down an atom bomb last night in the realm of municipal elections.

With municipal elections nearly upon us, I think the most interesting arena to watch will be the Bnei Braq elections. And yes, that will be even more interesting than my own home town of Bet Shemesh which has its own intrigue and excitement going on.

wow, the news the past couple of days has been insane with what looks like an implosion in the coalition "negotiations" (in quotes because they should have been finished already and supposedly were but keep being sort of reopened). Specifically with UTJ, and more specifically with the Degel Hatorah faction.

המאבק בין 'דגל' ל'אגודה' מחריף: דגל התורה ויצחק פינדרוס יפרסמו מכתב תביעה על דיבה ולשון הרע, נגד עו"ד אברימי יוסטמן מאגודת ישראל לאחר שהאשים את דגל התורה בשיתוף פעולה עם הרפורמים בהסתדרות הציונות.

— אבי רבינא Avi Ravina (@AviRabina) September 6, 2022

Translation:

I like it. Agudat Yisrael is hitting back at Degel Hatiorah. Degekl is claiming to be upset that the Belzer Rebeb approved that the Belz educational system should adopt the core curriculum studies so as to get full funding form the Ministry of Education (they say they are doing it so their teachers can get a decent salary and stop leaving for greener pastures). Degel wont let them into Chinuch Atzmai, so this is the only route left open tot hem, but Degel considers this to be a serious breach in Haredi Judaism and the fidelity to a pure educational system.

Back in January it became known to the public that Belz was negotiating with the Ministry of Education to establish its internal school systems as Haredi public schools, in which their students would study core curriculum subjects, and they worked out a deal regarding supervision and inspections along with full financial support. Belz was upset that Degel Hatorah was not allowing them to join the Chinuch Atzmai system, and they needed a solution to their deep financial crisis, and could no longer go it independently. Belz came under heavy criticism from other Haredi factions, but Degel persisted int heir refusal to allow new members into Chinuch Atzmai.

The Haredi media is labeling all the infighting comments as threats.

the deal signed between Smotritch and Ben Gvir (Ichud and Otzma) is likely to have two significant effects.

I never paid much attention to the inner workings of the World Zionist Organization. to me it just felt like an organization for arranging jobs for cronies and for funneling money to connected groups. The recent WZO elections provided some intrigue, but I still did not pay too much attention to it.

For years I have been saying that the Litvishe community has been adopting chassidishe and sefardic practices and absorbing them into their own customs and behavior. The most glaring ha always the turning of the Litvishe gedolim into chassidishe rebbes, in the form of brachos and segulos and whatnot.

According to a report on Behadrei, Rav Chaim Kanievsky should soon be called Baba Chaim, or maybe Santa Chaim, instead of Rav Chaim or Rav Kanievsky. And this is not a knock on Rav Kanievsky, but on those doing this to him.

According to the report, with elections just over a week away, Degel Hatorah feels there is a sense of complacency and frustration among the people. They are worried that many people just won't bother turning up to vote. People are tired of the political stalemate, they see no point in getting involved or being passionate about it.

To that end, Degel is working on coming up with ideas that will motivate people and get them out. The latest plan is that Degel activists will go out daily to different communities around the country, especially in the periphery and will bring with them a trailer with a mobile home that will also be carrying the chair of Rav Chaim Kanievsky - the same chair he sits on every day for hours while learning Torah.

The people participating in these rallies will each get an opportunity to sit, for a minute, on the chair of Rav Chaim Kanievsky and say some tehillim, accept upon himself a good deed/As well, the participants will be able to write down a personal request from Rav Chaim.

The article says that some of the members of the Kanievsky house are opposed to the idea, but ultimately it will be brought to him for approval and he will decide.

Mixing religion and politics always does more damage than good...

Interestingly, Kikar is reporting that leadership in the Degel Hatorah faction of UTJ is concerned about the date of elections landing during the Pesach vacation from yeshiva.

Before continuing, I must point out that the date of elections was set by PM Benjamin Netanyahu upon consultation with all his coalition partners and was agreed upon by them all, so the date and how it happens during "bein hazmanim" was not something anti-haredi or collusion to hurt the haredi parties or anything like that. The Haredi parties were equally central in deciding the date of the elections.

So, why are they concerned? What is wrong with the date?

From what the leadership is hearing from their local municipal representatives and leadership they are concerned that because of the vacation period the yeshiva guys might be less involved in the election headquarters than they normally are, and Degel Hatorah, the entire UTJ really, rely heavily on the energy and the work of the yeshiva guys in the local headquarters all around the country.

They don't really say why the young men might not volunteer for the election work, but it seems the reason is that they will likely prefer to travel around the country vacationing on their regular tiyulim rather than work for the elections.

To that end, the party leadership is putting together a "secret"plan to motivate and mobilize these young men and get them to work for the party rather than give it up and prefer their vacations. You can see the Kikar article (linked above) for information about those plan).

Caveat: We do not know the reality yet as it is in the future. We only know what the leadership expects to happen and is worried about, so I base my coming comments on that alone.

I find it interesting that the yeshiva guys will work for the election campaigns in every single election as long as it means taking time off of learning and yeshiva schedule but won't give up their vacation schedule for that. We always hear how it is so important the Haredi parties do well in the elections in order to save the torah learning for the future ability to continue learning. Because of that they justify taking away so many yeshiva guys from the beis medrash to work for the campaigns for days or even weeks. Yet that level of importance is obviously not ingrained in the young men - only in the leadership. The young men, on the other hand, seem to take it as a break from the rigorous torah study, as an exciting time, fun, excitement, and perhaps in other forms of enjoyment. When it means giving up their own fun and relaxed schedule it seems they are not quite so willing and happy to participate.

Either the leadership just uses them cynically - [mostly] free labor, a motivated and fired up electorate and all that - or perhaps the leadership really believes it but that level of importance was never imparted to the young men in the yeshivas. If the leadership really believes it, maybe it is time to work on a program to imbue all that knowledge and belief in why it is so important and impart it to the younger generation.

According to a report on Matzav, the upcoming elections might not mean as much as they have been made to be.. As a matter of fact, they might be meaningless. They might not even happen at all!

The story goes that someone from abroad went to visit Rav Chaim Kanievsky and get a bracha. he asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky if he should make aliya so that he will be able to vote for Degel hatorah in the upcoming elections.

That's dedication!

Rav Chaim Kanievsky responded that there is no need for this. Rav Chaim explained that Mashiach will be coming before the elections!

The young man was startled and before leaving he asked a grandson of Rav Chaim to confirm and make sure he understood correctly. When the grandson asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky to confirm what had been said, Rav Kanievsky confirmed it.

So, whatever troubles you've got, just hold out until April 9... and don't get too worked up about elections and election campaigns, as they won't really be relevant!

I wonder if Rav Kanievsky is instructing Degel Hatorah to not bother working too hard for these elections...

The two parties have run for elections together as one party, though with two separate factions, for the past 25 years..this request is purely technical and will not have any financial repercussions... by us the bride and groom do not see each other for 2 weeks before the wedding, though by the chassidim they have that custom for a longer amount of time.

  -- MK Uri Maklev (UTJ), requesting the Knesset approve the request to split Degel and Aguda to two separate parties.

two weeks? They stay away for two weeks? I never heard that - only 1 week! When did it become two weeks?

Tomorrow elections will be held in the ton of Telshe Stone, after its long-time mayor, Avraham Rosenthal, recently died, shortly after being re-elected to the position.

I know almost nothing about the two candidates vying for the top spot in this town - I don't have an opinion as to which of the two will do a better job, nor as to which is more or less deserving.. The only thing I do know is that one candidate, Yitzchak Ravitz, son of former MK Avraham Ravitz, has a good reputation, but he was rejected from Betar. 6 months ago Degel Hatorah in Betar held an internal primary election in preparation for what was then the upcoming municipal elections. Ravitz, who was Deputy Mayor at the time, lost to Dudi Zaltz. After he lost, Degel moved Ravitz out and sent him to Telshe Stone to prepare to run against Rosenthal. The other candidate is Yanky Pelei, and I absolutely nothing about him.

Ravitz had tried to usurp the seat from Rosenthal, but Rosenthal withstood the pressure on him and decided to run for re-election anyway, which he won. There was some bad blood, and Rosenthal supporters, led by his widow, are now supporting Pelei in tomorrow's election, while Degel is supporting Ravitz.

Anyways, with the election tomorrow, it seems Degel is stepping up the pressure to get people to vote for Ravitz. Degel activist and leader Mottka Bloi is warning residents of Telshe Stone that they should not base their vote on emotional or personal reasons against the candidate supported by the gedolim (i.e. Ravitz). Bloi warns that whoever votes against the decision of the gedolim will pay a heavy price through his descendants who will go against him and spend their time enjoying their recreational time in Abu Ghosh. Meaning, their interests will be turned elsewhere, away from Judaism, just because they voted for the other candidate..

I don't know one from the other in Telshe Stone and it does not matter to me who wins the election and who loses, but it is this type of intimidation and fear mongering that I oppose and am repulsed by. Compete in your election on the merits of the candidate. Tell people which candidate your rav supports and remind them of the importance of following the gedolim, if that is what is important in your community. Threats, warnings, fire and brimstone, dire predictions, and other scare tactics are just despicable. In a sense I hope people vote against Bloi's recommendation just to show that the days of intimidation and scare tactics are over.



 

The rumors right now are talking about an agreement being worked on that would have the three Haredi national political parties - Shas, Degel Hatorah and Agudat Yisrael - running together as one united party. The rumors include the gravitas of Rav Chaim Kanievsky who is supposedly behind the idea.

Is it going to happen? I have no idea. It is just a rumor right now, but it is a popular one right now that isn't going away so quickly.

I actually think it is a good idea. I personally see no difference between Degel and Agudah and don't see a reason why they have need to run as two separate parties or factions until now - on a national level, even if not on a municipal level, their needs are the same - mikvas, shuls, yeshivas, kollels, religious issues, child subsidies and all the regular national issues like security and whatnot. I see no reason why they need two separate parties just because these have grandparents who came from Lithuania and the others from Poland. Shas as well, though with Shas there is a slight difference - even though they have become more Haredi over the years, they still appeal to a traditional electorate in addition to their Haredi electorate. And I do not get how their differentiation in representation is necessary or good - it just causes more segmentation.

But will it happen? I have no idea.

My only thought is that with all the high-level politicians denying it, it is probably very likely at this point.

Whenever I see a news item about representatives, city councilmen, of Degel Hatorah and/or Shas requesting or demanding changes or policy from the new mayor of Bet Shemesh, Aliza Bloch, it makes me take pause to wonder.

Before I say why and what about it makes me pause and wonder, I am not even suggesting that their requests or demands are necessarily bad or provocative  or an attempt to throw wrenches into Bloch's leadership and efficient running of the city. Perhaps sometimes it is, and perhaps other times they are worthy and legitimate issues that can really deserve a new perspective and approach and possibly a change of policy. Even then.

So, whenever they make demands, and they already have a few times from what I have seen, it makes me wonder - they were the leadership of the city for the past 10 years, and before that as well they were part of the leadership. If they really feel it is an important issue, and perhaps it really is, why did they not deal with it over the past 10-15 years the way they demand Bloch deal with it now. Even when the request or demand is justified, it makes me wonder if they are really make an honest effort or just looking to make trouble.

And I don't have an answer. But it bothers me - it bothers me that they do this and it bothers me that even on issues I think they might be right about I have to wonder if they are being honest, hard working, and truthful or just being opposition troublemakers.