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Eida Weekly: More Chareidim Distancing Themselves from Elections


According to the weekly HaEida Magazine, released on erev shabbos, a growing number of chareidim are moving to the Eida’s hashkafa and deciding not to vote in the general elections in Eretz Yisrael. The recent edition, Rosh Chodesh Teves 5773, addresses the machlokes in chareidi parties, with a focus on the split between Degel HaTorah and Netzach or the Yerushalmi faction. It speaks about “split after split”, referring to the “faction of chareidim that works and those committed totally to Torah study”.

“And the more conservative faction that was distanced from the party’s leadership position, a faction that recently underwent an embarrassing leadership change, left to launch a new faction called Netzach.”

The Eida continues describing how Degel was established to represent Torah Jewry yet seems to have a better relationship with those who work, adding one person to the election lineup while orders from above prohibited including a member of the split off faction.

The magazine’s report cites that today, the factions do not see eye to eye, citing the example that the Bnei Brak faction instructs talmidim to respond to IDF induction centers and not sign forms while the Yerushalmi faction instructs talmidim not to report to induction centers, a policy in line with the Eida’s rabbonim.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)



8 Responses

  1. Makes sense. The pro-zionists are being discredited. In the past, they argued that frumJews should support the medinah since the medinah wasn’t persecuting them, didn’t want to draft them, and even handed out money. Those pro-zionists are discredited.

    The anti-zionists argued against accepting zionist money, and warned that Jews should not see the medinah as anything other that yet another effemeral non-Jewish entity occupying Eretz Yisrael.

    And the zionists are actively trying to prove the anti-zionist right.

    The question is, can the Edah manage to open serious negotiations with the Muslims and offer a real alternative. After the zionists shot their representative (Dr. Jacob Israel De Haan, 90 years ago), the Hareidim gave up trying to negotiate with the Arabs and focused on survival.

    Given the zionism seems to be on a suicide path, maybe now is the time to offer an option for survival of Torah Judaism in our land.

  2. The Edah from its inception has been the Hungarian arm of Torah Jewry and continues to follow that path.

    Let us see a successful coalition between the Edah and the Muslims to coexist, survive, and live peacefully together. The Muslims of the early 1900s have died and the new Muslim is not just ANTI-Israel yet ANTI-JEWISH, since the Edah consists of Jews any coexistence is an impossibility. The Torah kehillah of Ravs Frank, Zolty, Herzog, Shmulevitz, Meltzer, Auerabach, Elyashuv, Chadosh, and tens of others had no problem living and existing with a Medinah. They encouraged voting and maintaining relationships. The Edah has always been and continues to be a MINORITY with a majority of power of kashrus…..

  3. It really is a pity… All of these people claim they are in politics purely to represent the frum way of life, and do what the gedolim think is best; but in reality succumb to the power they have while in leadership positions, and their own egos. Instead of representing torah, they are just making a chilul hashem, making the other side’s voice that much stronger.

  4. The situaion has changed in the last 90 years. What Dr. DaHann may have been able to accomplish 90 years ago cannot happen today. Negotiations with the Arabs do not work and are suicidal. Like it or not, as a majority of gedolim stated after 1948, the Medinah is a reality. It’s survival at this point is a matter of pikuach nefesh.

  5. If there are segments of the Chareidi kehilla who really want to move in the direction of the Eida and ultimately the NK in dismissing the relevance of EY and lying down like lambs to be slaughtered by the terrorists, they should quickly go to the front of the line. They will not be missed. The large percentage of yidden in EY say “never again” and they will fight to retain the only refuge that we really have. Yes, we rely upon Hashem for protection but we must also stand up and defend ourselves. To those sheeplach who want to go and hide in their kollels and beis medrashim and tell others to risk their lives, let them go and hide.

  6. Perhaps the Satmar Rav instead of giving out cash to mosdos who will not vote in the upcoming election, can help pay Rebbeim that are months behind in secher limud in several NY schools?
    that is probably more worthwhile endeavor.

  7. bklynmom

    Why didn’t you think about this brilliant idea when the Agudah spent hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Siyum Hashas at the Metlife stadium, or when the Agudah holds their yearly elitist Convention ??

    The Satmar Rebbe is supporting Mosdos who don’t accept any of the unholy defiled Tzioni funding, so that they may survive.

    Most mosdos in NY who are behind in paying the rebbeim, are self inflicted for one of the following reasons:

    A)Parents don’t pay their fair share in tuition as they are to busy spending their money to keep up with the Joneses

    B)Some Yeshivas are in the red because of inept Administrators, eg. Bais Yakov of BP, which was losing millions yearly, & upon new management returned to the black whitin a year….

  8. I think this split is a good thing as it will free up the more moderate Charedi leadership to slowly integrate the portions of the general Charedi population into working within the broader Israeli society.

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