With the Emanuel Beis Yaakov affair behind us, MK (Yahadut HaTorah) Menachem Eliezer Moses called for achdus in Knesset on Tuesday, stating that on 17 Tammuz, it is appropriate more than on other days to call for unity and to focus on ‘ahavas chinam’.

Moses addressed the speaker, explaining that in shachris slichos we read about how the enemies of Israel took hold of the holy city on 17 Tammuz, the start of the destruction of the First and Second Temples, destroyed due to the hate from one yid to another. Of late, there has been a significant widening of the chasm between the chareidim and secularists, beginning with the bones at Barzilai Hospital, pointing out that since then, he has documented no less than 70 hateful columns written against the chareidi tzibur, accusing the community at large of valuing the dead more than the living.

He made reference to the Ehud Goldwasser HY”D exchange, and the efforts towards bringing home the body for kvura in Eretz Yisrael, but rejected allegations that the dead are a higher priority than the living, explaining this is simply untrue. He confirmed that pikuach nefesh indeed takes priority over bones, but this is not the case regarding Barzilai as was pointed out many times.

He added that now the Emanuel case is in the past, reminding the plenum that the High Court imprisoned Emanuel fathers, and the fast day should be a day of reflection, and there must be unity to address existential threats such as Iran, and the major issues including the Gaza flotillas – stating the tikun for sinas chinam is ahavas chinam.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)