UTJ MK Yisrael Eichler visited the homes of Gedolei Yisrael on Wednesday, including the home of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman, member of the Moetzet Gedolei HaTorah of Degel HaTorah and son-in-law of HaGaon HaRav Eliezer Shach, z’tl, to consult with them about the current political imbroglio.

Eichler first entered the home of HaRav Chaim, who gave him a bracha for success. As YWN previously reported, HaRav Chaim has said that it’s preferable to partner with an Arab party that respects religion and tradition over those who pursue religion.

Eichler then entered the home of HaRav Bergman, who said: “In my opinion, it’s preferable to go with the Arabs than with the Reform in the Labor party.”

“What are they afraid of?” Rav Bergman questioned.”They want to nullify the Nation-State law – that’s the only problem. The rest of the issues are fine. The main thing to worry about is the yeshivah world. Are we shayach to the right-wing bloc? HaRav Shach, z’tl, would have said that we should go with them because they’re the closest to Yiddishkeit.”

“When we were in chutz l’Eretz, we couldn’t get along with the goyim? Didn’t the Ponevezher Rav sit the Lithuanian parliament? Whatever we needed to do to get along with them, we did. Were we shayach to them?”

Regarding the refusal of Betzalel Smotrich, the chairman of the Religious Zionist party, to sit in a government supported on the outside by the Islamist Ra’am party, the Rav said: “He’s afraid for his settlements. But we worry about the yeshivos, Shabbos – whatever pertains to the Torah.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)