MK Eli Yishai is among the Israeli elected officials taking part in the “silent march” in Paris on Sunday, 20 Teves. Yishai could have flown on the prime minister’s plane, but when he realized he would have to miss shachris with a minyan he opted to take a later flight.
In addition to the prime minister, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Minister of Diaspora Affairs Naftali Bennett attended. The Knesset sent Yishai as its official representative due to his close relationship with the Jewish community in France.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s flight departed at 7:00 AM, and with neitz in Jerusalem being 6:38 AM, Yishai opted for a later flight to be able to daven with a minyan. His flight departed at 9:00 AM.
As he boarded the flight Yishai told reporters “I am going to cry with the French Jewish community, to console them, those mourning our brothers who were murdered Al Kiddush Hashem and to tell them there always have a warm welcome home here in Israel”.
Yishai is traveling with a bodyguard in line with measures taken by Knesset security officials in response to threats against him.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
Still using that same picture, despite reasonable complaints and requests to choose something more appropriate. One might think an agenda is at work here.
Let’s be honest here. Many of us (myself included) would have done the same thing. No chiddush. The point of the story was to present an opportunity to bash the others who did not do so. (Why waste a good opportunity?)
Maybe so, Yanky, but for the politicians, this is exceptional behavior, as the examples of the others who went demonstrated.
Maybe a trip with Netanyahu would underscore the difference between Deri and Yishai leadership. Deri will never be a minister in a netanyahu government again. Yishai would be a candidate for almost any second tier cabinet position.
How much did this act of piety cost the Israeli tax payer? Unless he paid for the flight himself, he should have either gone on the PM’s plane, or stayed home.
” Yishai is really GOING IT ALONE these days…..
Very well done Rabbi Yishai!!!! I know him personally and he’s a very straight forward person who only means the כלל
mamish a tzaddik. ah.
Stop using that picture!
He paid for it himself.
He is known to be very close with the french community both in Israel and in France.
Kol hakavod
Is he saying there wouldn’t have been 10 yidden on the PM’s flight to Paris? I cannot fathom that he couldn’t have found a minyan on the flight or simply davened by himself and avoided the additional cost of taking a commercial flight with his security team.
What’s wrong with that picture? And, he can’t have been the only Israeli gov’t official to have flown on a commercial plane, at “taxpayer expense.”