In the wake of widespread condemnation by religious and traditional Israelis, Prime Minister Yair Lapid shortened his vacation so it will not include the day of Tisha B’Av.
On Tuesday, Kan News reported that Lapid is preparing for his first vacation as prime minister and is scheduled to travel with his family to northern Israel from Thursday through Sunday, the day of Tisha B’Av.
The uproar began immediately following the report, with religious people still smarting from the fact that Lapid, unlike his predecessors, failed to visit the Kosel after entering his position. Instead, Lapid visited Yad Vashem.
“A serving prime minister hasn’t vacationed on Tisha B’Av in 74 years – until now,” Kol Chai reporter Avi Ravina responded to the report on Tuesday.
“It’s not surprising that the person who didn’t go to the Kotel when he entered the position of prime minister – goes on vacation when Am Yisrael is mourning the Churban Beis Hamikdash,” wrote former UN ambassador and Likud party candidate Danny Danon. “Lapid, you have no sensitivity or kavod for Yahadus and mesoras Yisrael.”
In the wake of the public’s criticism, Lapid decided to end his vacation early and will return to Jerusalem on Motzei Shabbos.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
What about Prof. Amiram Goldblum of the University’s Faculty of Medicine, slamming the decision that the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on Monday informed its employees that the university will be closing its doors on Tisha B’Av and won’t be holding classes!!!!!
Ralphz, Goldblum is not the prime minister. He has the right to say whatever he likes, and it’s nobody else’s business.
“Lapid, you have no sensitivity or kavod for Yahadus and mesoras Yisrael.”
Well, that’s pretty obvious. He is a Zionist and the leader of the Zionist State. The Zionists use Judaism only as far as needed to replace it with Zionism. It’s that simple. So, 9 Av is of no meaning to him
Why should he go to the kosel yiddishkeit stops at yad vashem and that’s it
Let’s all daven for Yair ben Shulamis to do teshuva shleima. Also for Benyamin ben Tzirel.
For those who don’t know, Yair Lapid’s father was the despicable self-hating Jew Tomislav Lampel AKA Yosef (Tommy) Lapid. Coming from a neolog (reform) family in Novi Sad, Serbia (later Hungary), Tomislav was still the target of Antisemitic jabs and abuse (because the Goy will still smell the Yid, no matter how much he may try to assimilate and hide). As a result of that, Tomislav developed strong hatered for his identity as a Jew. This was firmly set after his father was murdered by the Nazis – what he later termed as “for me, that was the day G-D died” R”L.
Even though he survived the war through a series of open miracles, his attitude towards Judaism did not change. When he came to Israel, he devoted himself to various endeavors that promoted the Neolog idea of being Jewish without any connection to Yiddishkeit. That culminated in his position as head of the Shinuy party, which he used to spew as much hatred and venom against the Torah and Yiddishkeit as possible. His rhetoric against the Chareidim would have made the editors of Der Stürmer proud. The only reason he officially took on the name “Yosef” (though he remained “Tommy” to all his friends and colleagues) and changed his name from Lampel (Hungarian: lamp) to Lapid (Hebrew: torch) was because at the time, all higher-rank army officers and anyone who aspired to be something was encouraged to drop their “Golus name” and adopt a “proud, Hebrew name”. However, he remained the same, Mechalel Shabbos, eater of Neveilos, and hater of all things pertaining to Yiddishkeit.
Growing up with such a father, is it any wonder that Yair imbued in himself all the disdain and hatred of Kodshei Yisroel his father exhibited? Is it any wonder that the new generation strives to improve on the actions of his predecessor? Why would he go to the Kosel – it means nothing to him. Why would he care about Tish’a B’Av – it commemorates a religious past he has no wish to be part of.
This in no way implies that he is to be given any reprieve or to excuse his actions. It’s just so we’re aware what we’re dealing with.
Since Lapid probably doesn’t observe the Holy שבת there really is no intrinsic reason for him not to observe תשעה ב”אב בזמנו on the 9th, in which case by Sunday it anyway is already over for him
Hopefully he’ll be travelling Motzoe Shabbos and not before sunset.
Anyone Israeli or foreign politician going to Yad Vashem and not the Kosel, declares that Israel is just land of refuge but has no religious or historic significance to Am Yisroel.
That’s the message he gave to Biden as well.
May he do teshuva speedily and proclaim his regret and dedication to Hashem publicly – ומיד הן נגאלין! (Rambam Hilchos Teshuva 7:5)
147, it doesn’t work like that. Shabbos is docheh 9 Bav for everyone, not just the religious.
Some haredi commentators in EY are calling criticism of Lapid cynical and a double standard.
They say he should have instead gone to the Swiss Alps, to join the vacationing Admorim there.
He could have then sat in a luxury resort on Tisha b’Av, like them, mourning the Churban while looking out at the Alps, and no one would dare to call him out.