Rabbi Dr. Benny Lau of Jerusalem has created a political stormy with his comments, blasting the Bayit Yehudi party for aligning with Otzma Yehudit, which he refers to in his Facebook post as bringing “Toras Kahane” which he compares to the Nuremberg Laws, into Knesset. His Facebook post begins “Bringing the torah of racism into the gates of the Knesset represents churban bayis”.

Rabbi Lau told the press that he received many media inquiries regarding his post on motzei Shabbos, but he decided not to respond to them. He did say that the Facebook post is intended for, “the public who believes in the values of Torah and the State, who feels that they share the vision of the return to Zion and the process of redemption of the Zionist movement”, adding, “This is the home I grew up in, and this is the home in which I continue to operate till this day. I do not have another intimate home and I am not looking for one”, referring to the home of the National Religious Camp, in this case, the Bayit Yehudi party. He continues, “this is a home that will not give up the Torah with all the responsibility this entails and is unwilling to give up full partnership in realizing the Zionist vision.”

He then adds that when he got up on Shabbos to give his weekly drasha in the Ramban Shul, his shul, he drew an analogy from Aharon HaKohen, pointing out he was אוהב שלום ורודף שלום אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה. “However, there is a time in a leader’s career when he must step out of that box of Aharon, and to stand firmly like Moshe”, adding this stance carries with it the call “מ ה’ אלי”. He decries the technical bloc that was given to Otzma Yehudit to enter Knesset, referring to the deal that once inside the house, the Otzma Yehudit party will split from Bayit Yehudi and function as an independent party once again.

Rav Rafi Peretz Responds
Rav Rafi Peretz, chairman of the Bayit Yehudi party responded to Rav Lau’s harsh attack. He explained there are many streams in the dati leumi camp, but there is only one party representing them all.

MK Betzalel Smotrich Demands Rav Lau Apologize
Chairman of the Ichud Leumi faction of Bayit Yehudi, MK Betzalel Smotrich, is demanding an apology and retraction from Rav Lau, explaining, “Rav Lau, who usually preaches the preserving the boundaries of discourse, apparently forgot what Nazism and the Holocaust are.” Smotrich added harsh images of the murder of the Jews in the Holocaust. “I hope that he will retract the frivolous comparison of brothers who think otherwise to Nazis YS”VZ as well as the harsh damage to the memory of the victims and the dignity of the survivors. Many of them are members of my family.

Rav Lau Continued the Attack in his Shabbos Drasha
According to a report released on Sunday by Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post, in his Shabbos drasha, Rav Lau vowed to “go to war” to prevent Otzma Yehudit, the followers of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane HY”D, from entering Knesset. Hoffman adds that Rav Lau advised members of his kehilla to research the Nuremberg Laws and then compare them to Kahane’s proposed legislation in Knesset in the 1980s.

“A vote for Bayit Yehudi is a vote for racism”, Rabbi Lau is quoted by Hoffman telling his congregation on Shabbos, apologizing for speaking about politics on Shabbos in shul but the seriousness of the situation leaves him without alternative.

Otzma Yehudit Leader: He is Not my Enemy
Otzma Yehudit chairman Dr. Michael Ben-Ari responded saying, “I do not intend to fight him since he is not my enemy. I have other enemies.

Party member and attorney, Itamar Ben-Givir, threatened to file a lawsuit for slander against Rav Benny Lau.

Rabbi Benny Lau has become known for his liberal viewpoint in many areas including the toeiva community and the role of women in his shul. He is a nephew of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau Shlita and a first cousin of current Chief Rabbi of Israel, Dovid Lau Shlita.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)