Israel – Haredi Voting Signals Weakening of Sector’s Political Establishment

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    Ultra-Orthodox Jewish boys destroyed election campaign posters of ultra-Orthodox mayoral candidate Meir Porush Tuesday in Mea Sharim, Israel. Mr. Porush, who faced opposition from secular businessman Nir Barkat in the Jerusalem election, has branded himself as a crossover candidate, appealing to both secular and religious people. (Menahem Kahana/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)Israel – The 2008 municipal elections will go down in history as a watershed event for haredi politics that will likely have far-reaching implications on the national level.

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    For the first time in Israeli political history, the normally obedient haredi voters showed signs of rebellion.

    In two haredi centers – Jerusalem and Beit Shemesh – there is a significant haredi contingent that has come out openly against the haredi political establishment.

    The most embattled by far is the Ger Hassidic sect. Until now Ger, the single largest Hassidic sect in Israel, effectively controlled Agudath Yisrael. But in this election there are signs that Ger has lost the support of a large segment of the haredi vote and may lose its political hegemony.

    A growing number of haredim feel alienated from Ger’s stringent interpretations of Jewish practice. More importantly, large segments within haredi society feel disenfranchised. Chabad Hassidim, Sephardim who are not represented by Shas, Lithuanian haredim who work for a living and those who are new to haredi Orthodoxy (hozrim b’tshuva) have consistently suffered discrimination.

    Their boys aren’t accepted to the good Talmudei Torah and yeshivot. Their daughters aren’t admitted to the quality high schools.

    They watch as young men and women with the “right” family connections get jobs in prestigious Torah institutions while their own children are left behind, lacking in addition the required secular education needed to integrate in the modern Israeli labor market.

    Many have begun to question their obligations to a rabbinic leadership that rejects them and offers them no future. Many also are being to question rabbinic opinion on mundane matters such municipal elections.

    As one haredi put it, “What do rabbis know about politics? Do I ask a rabbi what kind of floor cleaner I should use? We need a separation between religion and politics. I don’t want rabbis to tell me what kind of cellular phone to use or where to sit on the bus.

    “I live in Bnei Brak. I am very active in my community and I help a lot of people. But I can’t run in local elections because I don’t have the right connections with the people who control internal rabbinic politics. In the end, the best man isn’t chosen for the job.”

    Meir Porush is trying to capitalize on this large swathe of the disenchanted haredi public.
    Although he was careful not to do so openly, Porush utilized the Internet in his campaign. Although use of the Internet is officially prohibited except when needed to make a living, Porush gave an interview to the popular Behaderei Haredim (In Haredi Rooms) chat room. Behaderei Haredim is a forum readily used by disgruntled haredim to vent their frustrations. It is one of the examples of an increasingly independent haredi populace.

    Meanwhile, the rebbe of Ger, Ya’acov Aryeh Alter, aware of the threat that Porush presents, has called on his hassidim not to vote for him, even though he’s the city’s only haredi candidate. Ger enjoys the support of the Boyan Hassidic sect, which is still angry at Porush for bucking its authority in the Betar municipal elections.

    In Friday’s Hamodia, a weekly controlled by the hassidic sect, Alter placed a front page notice calling to vote for Agudath Yisrael. Conspicuously absent was the rebbe’s electoral command regarding the mayoral race. Porush’s name simply was not mentioned.

    The rebbe’s omission was particularly striking since it was accompanied by an ad publicizing the opinions of a list of leading haredi rabbis who specifically called to vote not only for Agudath Yisrael and for Porush.

    Even Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the most revered halachic authority among Lithuanian haredi Jewry, who is known to oppose Porush, nevertheless at the last minute and halfheartedly called on his followers to support him in the elections since he was the only haredi candidate.

    In Beit Shemesh there was an even more radical development. The same coalition of Chabad, non-Shas Sephardim, Lithuanians who work and hozrim b’tshuva have banded together to form their own political party, called TOV.
    The party has also received strong support from American haredim, who aren’t used to rabbis who tell them how to vote in political elections.

    The haredi establishment is afraid that TOV, which ran a list in haredi Betar and won a seat on the local council, will transform itself into a national party that will weaken United Torah Judaism’s electoral strength.


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    11 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    oh yeah let the whole jewish world realize once and for all the shameless acts of the politico rebbes (so called) and see how right the old satmer rebbe r yoilish was by not letting his followers to take part in isrealli politics besides the anti zionist point of view. but the nonsense of giving ultimate power to a individual spiritual leader.and that’s exactly what he did in his own kehilah when he formed kehal yetev lev and he wrote a constitution giving them power over him etc.

    tzioni
    tzioni
    15 years ago

    What does this have to do with R’ Yolish Agudath Israel and Shas combined recieved nearly 80,000 votes. That equales 80,000 frum voters who DID NOT listen to R’ Yolish.

    usedtobetzioni
    usedtobetzioni
    15 years ago

    Yet another band of disgruntled “Orthodox” Jews using their talents for pettiness and putridity rather than trying to do something good. Grow up.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    What type of Chasid is Porush?

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    Ok here we go again someone from the post (j post its all the same crap)who thinks he understands exactly how it works by chareidim !!!! Please u don’t get it !!!!! Are you some professor in an american left wing (obama voting)type campus teaching ultra orthodox culture?????

    antelope110
    antelope110
    15 years ago

    When Mashiach finally reveals himself, will we all unite and accept him as our leader? How many Jews will say, “He’s not my ‘type;’ I can’t follow him? All this pettiness… It’s heartbreaking. When people ask me, “what are you?” I follow in my Zeidie’s (a”h) way and say, “Ich bin a frume Yid.” My son married a girl with a Tzioni background, my daughter married a Bobover…and we all get along. One Torah, One nation, One G-d. Wake up, everyone!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    About 30 Jews in Yerushaliam Didnt vote because of Reb Yoilish!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    15 years ago

    You have to get your facts correct in this artical. One very bad mistake is that Boyane did not go with Ger it is rubbish