The rabbonim of the Hadar Ganim and Ganei Hadar neighborhoods of Petach Tikvah from all the different communities; including litvish, chassidish, sephardim and dati leumi, have united with the Chief Rabbi of Petach Tikvah, HaRav Micha Halevi towards safeguarding Kedushas Shabbos. The initiative was launched in response to ongoing efforts to open the newly-refurbished indoor swimming pool year-round in the neighboring Amishav neighborhood on Shabbos. This, the rabbonim feel is a breach of the religious status quo and would significantly increase Chilul Shabbos in the public sphere. The rabbonim met with Rav Halevi, and it was decided to launch an effort to increase awareness regarding Chilul Shabbos, emphasizing they must not remain silent and permit this public Chilul Shabbos, or to lend a hand towards legitimizing registering for pool membership. When asked if one may become a pool member, Rav Halevi ruled one may not and this psak is being accepted by the rabbonim of the above-mentioned neighborhoods as well. In his letter, Rav Halevi laments the planned widespread public Chilul Shabbos, adding that becoming a member of the pool makes one a partner who aids Chilul Shabbos, adding there is no way to permit such a move. The rabbonim used their Shabbos sermons to address the matter last week, urging their kehillos to maintain and safeguard Kedushas Shabbos and not to become pool members. According to Councilman (Yahadut Hatorah) Yisrael Friedman, thousands of new Shomer Shabbos families have moved into Petach Tikvah, and the city funding of the pool was done with the understanding the pool was not going to operate on Shabbos. He adds that there is a consensus among all the rabbonim, including the ashkenazim, sephardim and dati leumi, and the communities must be encouraged not to purchase pool memberships if the pool is going to operate on Shabbos, for such a move is a “gross violation of the religious status quo in the city”. The message from City Hall is that the pool has been in existence for years and it has always operated on Shabbos and there is absolutely no change in the religious status quo. It is explained the pool was refurbished and that it operated during the tenure of the previous mayor as well, so there is absolutely nothing new. In fact, the refurbishing of the pool was completed before the municipal elections. At that time, Friedman asked Mayor Itzik Braverman, who the chareidi party backed, to refrain from reopening it until after elections to avoid a provocation regarding religious issues in Petach Tikvah prior to elections. Hence, City Hall calls the protests of the religious councilmen and rabbonim “baseless and phony”, as they are all aware of the reality that existed prior to the pool being refurbished, simply to launch an attack on Mayor Rami Greenberg. Yahadut Hatorah officials insist that Mayor Braverman had agreed that once the pool was closed to be refurbished, it would not reopen again on Shabbos and the current administration is violating this promise. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

At a post-election rally in Maale HaChamisha, Shas Chairman Aryeh Deri spoke, using the opportunity to proclaim the party’s success in the election, now with eight seats. As he has done in the past, he exclaimed the pollsters haven’t a clue regarding voting reality at the polls on Election Day. “I was certain the results would be strong like in the municipal elections, while the polls said otherwise” Deri stated. He added, “We have to say the truth. Pindrus was not chosen in Elad because his litvish friends did not back him, but Pindrus at the end will enter Knesset on our votes, the sephardim. I will not conduct coalition negotiations via the media. I appointed a negotiating team without sending messages or threats via the media” he added. Pindrus was unable to run for mayor in Elad after the High Court of Justice disqualified his candidacy, with the court accepting a petition challenging the legitimacy of his changing his address from Jerusalem to Elad. After the Central Election Committee conducted a recount, Yahadut Hatorah went from seven to eight seats, bringing Pindrus into Knesset. Deri was referring to Yahadut Hatorah campaigning in sephardi areas, accusing the ashkenazi chareidi party of stealing sephardi, Shas, votes. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) On motzei Shabbos at 9:00 PM, a Degel Hatorah election event was held at Beis Medrash Lederman on Rashbam Street in Bnei Brak and called by HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky. The conference was intended for representatives of the public, area activists and field personnel of the Litvish party and is was expected to be the first in a series of meetings ahead of the elections. Speakers included Hagaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Efrati, MK Moshe Gafne and others. The event was emceed by Yitzchak Pindrus. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem/Photo Credit: קבוצת רוטרניק)

(PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE) Efforts continue to create a united bloc that would include Shas, Yahadut Hatorah, Agudas Yisrael, Bnei Torah and Yachad, which would result in an unprecedented chareidi power base. Many if not most opine such a union will not occur, since the players will never agree to concede to one another as each player maneuvers to secure for his respective position of power and influence. While the chareidi union has not yet been established and efforts are only in the preliminary stages, the Smith Institute survey commissioned by parties that would make up the chareidi bloc examined the results of the mandates in the case of such a reality. This is an internal survey to assist the chareidi parties to decide if such a move is wise, and if so, what is the likely outcome. BeChadrei Chareidim has obtained the results of the survey, which shows the power of the chareidi factions will increase should they run as a single party. The survey, conducted by the Smith Institute for Research headed by Prof. Rafi Smith, examined the potential of chareidi street support for a united chareidi party. The biggest winner of the poll will be Shas chairman Aryeh Deri, who will head the second largest party in the Knesset and in the coalition. The survey examined three possibilities. A separate run by Shas and Yahadut Hatorah, a separate run with a split between Degel Hatorah and Agudas Yisrael, and the possibility of uniting all the parties into one list. The first option in the survey: Shas is not harmed at all as it retains the seven mandates it currently has with the support of 21% of the chareidi public (excluding the traditional-religious public). A United Yahadut Hatorah (Agudas Yisrael and Degel Hatorah) earns seven seats with 51% of the chareidi vote, also maintaining its strength, while Eli Yishai’s Yachad party does not make the minimum threshold, with only 3% of the chareidi public voting for him. The second option in the survey: Splitting Yahadut Hatorah – Degel Hatorah headed by MK Moshe Gafni wins four to five seats with 30 percent, while Agudas Yisrael headed by MK Yaakov Litzman, wins three to four seats and does not meet the minimum threshold to enter Knesset, with a 23% support rate. According to this scenario, oddly enough Shas voters go to the Ashkenazi factions – 11% to Degel Hatorah and 4% to Agudas Yisrael. In the case of chareidi unity on one list, the chareidi public in the Knesset will rise by two Knesset seats before the election campaign when Deri will head it, and become the strongest figure in the political system, with the second largest faction in the Knesset. The survey was conducted as a telephone survey conducted on January 8, 2010 among 420 people as a representative sample of the chareidi population in Israel, nationwide. Distribution of interviewees according to the streams: Litvish 33%; Chassidim 30%; Sephardi 25%; Peleg Yerushalmi 3%; Chardal (Chareidi Dati Leumi) 5%, and other 4%. To date, Shas has not only failed to express enthusiasm over the unity plan, HaGaon HaRav Shalom Cohen, head of the Shas Moetzas Chachmei HaTorah, has spoken out against it, fearing all the years of work by HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L to return the Sephardi identity

The achdus in Yahadut Hatorah between the litvish Degel Hatorah party and the chassidish Agudas Yisrael party is now officially history, as the Knesset House Committee on Wednesday morning, January 9, 2019, approved a request to split the parties. The fact that they put differences aside and ran together earned the combined list at least one additional seat in the 20th Knesset, and if they do not run together in the upcoming race, which they still can, it will undoubtedly claim a price in the number of seats they receive. In fact, according to some polls, if they do opt to run independent of one another, there is a chance one or both parties might not pass the 3.25% minimum election threshold to enter Knesset. Should this be the case, it would have a profound impact on life for the chareidi tzibur in Israel during the coming years as their representation in Knesset would be significantly diminished. Speaking officially however, “The request is submitted with the agreement of the two parties in accordance with the agreement that was set between them even before the elections for the 21st Knesset and is requested for procedural reasons only,” the statement read. The petition was signed by MK Menachem Eliezer Moses, chairman of Yahadut Hatorah. Moses will not be continuing in the 21st Knesset, as was reported, as the Vishnitzer Rebbe Shlita has tapped Yanki Tessler to replace him. Tessler is a former advisor to Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman. BeChadrei Chareidim adds, that it should be noted that although this is a technical procedure that will add money to the campaign and divide the work in the party into two, negotiations between the parties at this stage are not progressing as there is bitterness between the factions following the lack of harmony that accompanied the municipal elections. BeChadrei Chareidim also report that Agudas Yisrael’s Committee of Eight, the leadership committee of the party, reported to party Secretary Chanoch Zeibert regarding Degel Hatorah’s proposal to Agudas Yisrael that they would sign an agreement for two terms that states the senior and junior positions held would be alternated between the parties, with Degel taking the senior positions in the first of the two terms of the agreement. Yahadut Hatorah is stressing the split is not machlokes-related, but the request to split the factions by the Knesset Committee is “a well-known procedural move coordinated between the factions, without any significance for the way they run in the upcoming elections”. Agudas Yisrael’s Yaakov Litzman initially refuted the report of the requested split, but the move has been confirmed by the Knesset spokesman, Shimon Malka. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

A group of litvish avreichim met on Tuesday night with the Lelover Rebbe in Beit Shemesh in an effort to explain the position of Degel Hatorah, which at present, refuses to join the Beit Shemesh coalition headed by Mayor Aliza Bloch. The rebbe is the rav of Shimon Goldberg of Shlomei Emunim, who has received instructions to enter the coalition. According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, the avreichim spoke with the rebbe for an hour, reviewing the details of the agreement which Mayor Bloch signed with the Bayit Yehudi party, explaining this agreement is the reason both Degel and Shas refuse to enter the coalition. The rebbe reportedly told them that he received a report from Goldberg which was the opposite of what they told him and in the coming days, he will probe the matter in depth. It is also reported that Goldberg appeared during the meeting and an argument resulted as he insists, he was promised the religious status quo will be observed in this administration while Degel Hatorah seems to indicate this is not so. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

With the need to pass a new draft bill a pressing reality, the machlokes between the litvish Degel Hatorah and chassidish Agudas Yisrael factions of Yahadut Hatorah continues, perhaps gaining in its ferocity. MK (Agudas Yisrael) Yisrael Eichler has put forward a plan, which he hopes can bring the sides back together. It would require the efforts of the secretaries of the respective Moetzas of Degel and Agudah, working with a third person to be selected by the Moetzas Chachmei HaTorah of Shas. According to a BeChadrei Chareidim report, it has already been decided that a representative of Degel will speak with secretary Avraham Rubinstein and chairman of the Agudah faction in Knesset, MK Menachem Eliezer Moses, will speak with secretary Yaakov Waltzer, and simultaneously, there will be coordination with Shas. The heart of the machlokes surrounding the draft law is that both Shas and Degel Hatorah wish to pass a draft law before the expiration date set by the High Court of Justice, which last week granted a 45-day extension to the expiration date, while Agudas Yisrael wishes to wait until there is a coalition with a large majority, which means after Knesset elections. YWN-Israel reported that rabbonim and MKs of Degel Hatorah met on motzei Shabbos with HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaGaon HaRav Gershon Edelstein, seeking urgent direction. The following day, on Sunday, 1 Teves, Gafne informed Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that if a draft law is not legislated, Degel will not remain in the coalition. This would compel early elections as the coalition currently has a one-seat majority. Alternatively, Agudas Yisrael does not appear to have changed its position since the Moetzas Gedolei Torah met several months ago, deciding that if the current version of the draft law is advanced, it will pull from the coalition, having the same result, early elections. Shas sides with Degel Hatorah, explaining there is wiggle room to make some changes in the current bill, citing passing the current bill is better than taking a chance on the High Court deciding the fate of the bnei Torah. In addition, Shas and Degel Hatorah both feel in all likelihood, the next coalition government will be less chareidi-friendly so the time to pass a favorable draft bill is now. Their biggest fear is that if the Knesset is dissolved and early elections declared, the High Court may decide to unilaterally adjudicate the matter and the outcome will most likely not be a favorable one for the tens of thousands of lomdei Torah. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Members of the Peleg Yerushalmi are preparing to evacuate the Darchei Shmuel Shul in Kiryat Herzog, Bnei Brak, as the city has ordered removing it since it is an illegal structure. A hachnasas Sefer Torah was recently held in the shul and efforts to prevent it from being destroyed have been unsuccessful as City Hall reports the building is illegal. According to a Kikar Shabbos News report, claims by members of the Peleg that they are being discriminated against are unfounded, quoting unnamed city officials who are speaking out for a first time, who point out that during the recent election campaign for the municipal elections, no less than eight illegal shuls were established in the Torah City, all using public land intended for parks and the benefit of the tzibur, and Darchei Shmuel is among the eight. Newly-elected mayor Avraham Rubinstein in quoted telling Kikar Shabbos, “They simply stole public land, plain and simple, with the backing of rabbonim – there are eight shuls that are built on stolen green areas and they all will be removed”. Kikar also quotes city officials saying, “Until now, four of the shuls have been removed, including Klall Chassidi, one Sephardi, one Litvish affiliated with Degel Hatorah, and now, we are preparing to remove the other four. Clearly, we are removing all of the illegal shuls and not removing shuls based on affiliation. We are removing all of them since they are illegal”. The report adds that persons close to the mayor explain he has made it clear, that his administration will not tolerate an atmosphere of ‘hefker’ with people believing they can do as they please for as long as it involves a shul. He will not tolerate persons taking the law into their own hands. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Agudas Yisrael’s revenge against Degel Hatorah is playing out in Betar Illit, as the litvish party will not be receiving a deputy mayoral position as promised. This is the chassidish party’s way of getting back after announcing former Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul is not resigning to permit Agudas’ Avraham Nachman Frankel to become a deputy mayor in Beit Shemesh. Agudas Yisrael accuses Degel Hatorah of failing to abide by the agreement signed by which Moshe Abutbul will resign to permit the ninth person on the list to enter the coalition and become a deputy mayor, referring to Agudas Yisrael’s Avraham Nachman Frankel. In a media interview, Agudah’s Shimon Goldberg used terms like “Shveiras HaKeilim” and stated, “There is no one to trust”, as he accused Degel of failing to abide by the agreement. Degel’s Moshe Muntag visited HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita with Abutbul, and the Torah giant instructed Abutbul to remain and not resign as planned. Hence, Abutbul retracted his letter of resignation and will continue serving on the city council. As a result, Frankel will remain outside. That being the case, Agudas Yisrael decided it will block Degel’s Dudi Zlatz (זלץ) from becoming a deputy mayor in Betar Illit. Degel boycotted the festive meeting of the incoming administration in Betar in response to Agudah’s retaliatory move. In the Wednesday edition of the HaMevaser newspaper, affiliated with Shlomei Emunim, it presents an extensively detailed analysis of the election in Beit Shemesh, rejecting accusations from Degel Hatorah, that Agudas Yisrael members, which include Shlomei Emunim, voted for Mayor Aliza Bloch and not Abutbul, and that is why she lost and why Rav Kanievsky instructed Abutbul not to resign. The newspaper however breaks down the voting by neighborhood and insists it is clear that Agudas Yisrael voters did back Abutbul, and he lost to Bloch because of other factors, not due to the voting of backers of Agudas Yisrael as claimed by Degel leaders. Hamevaser newspaper (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Rebitzen Adina Bar-Shalom, a daughter of Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L, told Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) on Thursday, that Shas party chairman, Minister Aryeh Deri has changed. She said, “Perhaps, call me naïve, but the truth is that many trusted and believed that Aryeh Deri would continue on his derech. My father also believed in him but Aryeh changed. He is not the same Aryeh that he was once upon a time. He changed totally and opted for a different path”. In the last Knesset elections, Bar-Shalom openly backed Shas, even to the extent of holding a joint press conference with Deri. Bar-Shalom confirmed her plans to run in the upcoming Knesset elections, explaining her decision to go with a new party. The official announcement was made this past summer. She told Galei Tzahal she plans to be “the man in a place where there is no man. I want to undertake the commitment to implement change in my society.” When she was asked to explain just how Deri changed, Bar-Shalom responded, “Aryeh has taken a path towards the Litvish direction”. She clarified: “You see him – you remember him the way he was 15 years ago, and I ask you if this is the same Aryeh? We all heard and they spoke about it in the street, that he can become prime minister, he was clever, has wisdom, united the people, but I am not here to praise him, he is not the same Aryeh. He has taken an entirely different path and I remain in my same place that my father educated me, the place of doing, and I believe he would give me a bracha today on the path I have chosen”. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Degel Hatorah chairman MK Moshe Gafne explains his party is willing to run together with Agudas Yisrael in the next Knesset election providing Agudah is willing to cut the number of representatives it currently holds so that the majority of in Yahadut Hatorah would rest with Degel and not Agudah, as it has been until now. At present, Degel MKs are Gafne, Uri Maklev and Yaakov Asher. Agudas Yisrael on the other hand has four MKs, Meir Porush, Yaakov Litzman, Yisrael Eichler and Menachem Eliezer Moses. Gafne feels that today, in light of Degel’s victories in Jerusalem and elsewhere, Agudas Yisrael is no longer entitled to have the majority representation in the combined party, but now, it must shift from the chassidim to the litvish camp. Speaking with Galei Tzahal (Army Radio), Gafne explained this is what must occur if Agudas Yisrael wishes to run together again under the joint Yahadut Hatorah banner. He explains how Degel ran without Agudah in Yerushalayim and received six mandates on the city council. Regarding speculation that Degel will run with Shas, Gafne explained earlier in the week that while he favors achdus, Shas receives votes from a broad constituency and joining with Degel might jeopardize this and both are unwilling to create such a reality. Going back to the party’s future with Agudas Yisrael, he remains adamant that the only way they can run together is if Degel has the majority, citing Degel has proven itself in other areas too, including Petach Tikvah and Ashdod, where the party doubled itself. Hence, he is willing to continue running under the joint banner, but the division of seats will have to change, so the ball remains in Agudas’ court to decide if such a reality is acceptable. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

Pindrus Turns To Mayor Porush To Sign Petition To Postpone Elad Elections Yitzchak Pindrus, whose candidacy in the Elad mayoral elections was disqualified by the courts, turned to Mayor Yisrael Porush in a letter, asking him to sign the petition to postpone elections in the city to permit fair elections. “I heard what you said yesterday, as well as your father, Deputy Minister Meir Porush, expressing adamant opposition to the legal petition, as well as expressing sorrow over my candidacy being disqualified, depriving me of the possibility to run for mayor of Elad in line with the instruction and decision of Rabbanei Gedolei Hador Shlita,” said Pindrus in his letter. The full story was covered in Tuesday’s HaMevaser and Hamodia, as well as in other media, quoting Porush expressing sorrow over the court’s decision. Pindrus cites how thousands of supporters are now seeking to postpone elections to permit Degel Hatorah to have a candidate, calling on both Mayor and Deputy Mayor Porush to sign the petition, to join the call to delay elections in Elad. View this post on Instagram #ISRAEL ELECTION FEVER: Motorcade goes around #Jerusalem blasting the official campaign song of Mayoral candidate Yossi Deutsch. Rav Biruch Mordechai Ezrachi Shlita. Bochurim tear down a sign for the Peleg's "Aitz" party READ MORE ON WWW.THEYESHIVAWORLD.COM A post shared by TheYeshivaWorld.com (@theyeshivaworld) on Oct 23, 2018 at 8:15pm PDT Deri Will Not Decide Regarding Request To Postpone Elections In Elad The Cabinet on Tuesday, 14 Marcheshvan, placed the authority to postpone municipal elections in Elad in the hands of Likud Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, removing this authority from Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, chairman of the Shas party. The upcoming municipal elections in Elad remains in the news as supporters of Yitzchak Pindrus, who has been disqualified from running for the city’s mayor, are now seeking to postpone the elections in the city until such time they can find another candidate to oppose Mayor Yisrael Porush, who seeks reelection. The High Court of Justice on Monday rejected a petition which Degel Hatorah and Shas hoped would reverse the lower court, and permit Pindrus to run. However, this did not occur and now, both Degel and Shas are left without a candidate in that city’s elections. The residents backing Pindrus, numbering in the thousands, are turning to the Interior Ministry to use its authority to postpone elections in Elad to permit Degel Hatorah to get a new candidate. Pindrus opponents are uncomfortable with this as the Interior Minister, Aryeh Deri, happens to be the chairman of Shas. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit on Tuesday told the cabinet there is no legal reason that the authority for this decision cannot be placed in the hands of another minister. On Monday, not long following the High Court decision, prominent attorney Tzvi Agmon, filed a letter calling to postpone the elections in Elad as explained above. He cited a case from 2003, in which the High Court of Justice approved delaying an election, adding the same should be the case in Elad today. Bayit Yehudi chairman in Elad, Councilman Shai Natan, has already expressed strong objections against delaying elections in Elad. He sent his own letter via yet another prominent attorney, Aviad HaKohen, calling on Attorney General Mandelblit and Interior Minister Deri to have elections in Elad