Netanyahu Doesn’t Want Haredim In Government, Shas Says, But He Also Doesn’t Want Civil War

The co-head of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party Eli Yishai said he believes Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wants to form a new government without Shas. Speaking on Israel’s Channel 2 tonight, Yishai reportedly said he believed that there was only a 30% chance of Shas joining the new governing coalition. Yishai also accused the Yesh Atid Party’s leader, secularist Yair Lapid, of trying to “divide the nation and wanting to destroy the world of Torah.”

Eli Yishai

Netanyahu Doesn’t Want Haredim In Government, Shas Says, But He Also Doesn’t Want Civil War
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

The co-head of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party Eli Yishai said he believes Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wants to form a new government without Shas.

Speaking on Israel’s Channel 2 tonight, Yishai said he believed that there was only a 30% chance of Shas joining the new governing coalition. Yishai also accused the Yesh Atid Party’s leader, secularist Yair Lapid, of trying to “divide the nation and wanting to destroy the world of Torah,” the Jerusalem Post reported.

Yesh Atid won 19 Knesset seats in Israel’s recent national elections. Shas won only 12.

Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party and almost all of the other non-haredi political parties including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likyd-Beiteinu want haredim to serve in the military just as all other Jewish Israelis do rather than evade the draft as haredim have done for decades. Polls show that the Israeli populace overwhelmingly wants haredim to be drafted, as well.

But Netanyahu has needed haredi parties to form his government in all of its previous incarnations, and even though he does not need them to form the new governing coalition, he may need them to keep it in power or to form a governing coalition after the next elections.

So when Netanyahu parroted the language of haredi politicians regarding the haredi draft, it came as no surprise to Netanyahu watchers.

“[We must] significantly increase the share of the burden [of national military service, but only in a] responsible manner that will bring real change without dividing the nation and causing a civil war,” Netanyahu said when asked by Israel’s President Shimon Peres to form the new governing coalition.

The Sefardi haredi Shas Party’s founder and spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and other haredim have actually threatened civil war if the haredi draft is instituted. Yosef and other haredi rabbis have also threatened to move haredim en masse to a foreign country in order to avoid military service.

Some haredi leaders have hinted at a compromise. But that compromise is centered around drafting haredi “shabbabnikim,” “bums,” who have left or been expelled from yeshivas and who spend their days on the streets. Haredi yeshivas often show these shabbabnikim as active students in order to collect government subsidies in their names. The practice has the side benefit of allowing shabbabnikim to evade the draft. Haredi leaders would be willing to send those shabbabnikim to the military and forgo the government stipends yeshivas have been taking illegally in their names, (in some cases allegedly for more than a decade) to placate the government.

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Comments

[A. Nuran]

Civil War? Where would the Charedim get an Army? Would they pool their welfare checks to hire Gentiles?

[dh]

The old will send the young. They already know hate and they don't have much else to do. When they get there they will realize that to win a war these days you need to use a computer.

[S M L]

Yosef and other haredi rabbis have also threatened to move haredim en masse to a foreign country in order to avoid military service.

Really? Terrific! Can I help them move? Only one problem: what country would take nonproductive unworldly techno-illiterate unemployables with huge families?

Oops...

[Garnel Ironheart]

It'll be a short civil war. The "gedolim" will announce a draft and all the Chareidim will demand exemptions!

[Jeff]

Modern weaponry vs. burning garbage cans and dirty diapers. Shouldn't last long.

I agree with those who say they wouldn't be of much use to the armed forces, and that an alternate form of service would probably be a better idea. In any case, I want to see an end to the exemptions in large measure because it will demonstrate the futility of their prayer and "Toyreh" learning. I'd like to think it will finally open their eyes to the fact they've been lied to by their rebbaim all of their lives - but it probably won't make any difference to most of them. Between biology and early childhood environment, they're programmed for subservience.

[Ben]

Netaniyahu sounds worse and worse every time he opens his mouth on this issue

[seymour]

It'll be a short civil war. The "gedolim" will announce a draft and all the Chareidim will demand exemptions!

Posted by: Garnel Ironheart | February 03, 2013 at 03:05 AM

good one

[seymour]

Really? Terrific! Can I help them move? Only one problem: what country would take nonproductive unworldly techno-illiterate unemployables with huge families?

Oops...

Posted by: S M L | February 02, 2013 at 11:29 PM

are you nuts. they will create an ebay page for sale the best missile protection money can buy. Yes you are bidding on Torah learners who by their mere presence will protect your whole country from attack

winning bid any country that offers the most welfare and other government cash programs.

WE do not care about your countries policies ethics or anything really. Just how many program we can squeeze out of you

[Moshe Aron kestenbaum, williamsburg]

Chraidim could eat chulent and looks hen kugel, civil war? Am laughing my pants off , they can't even lift a jammer, the mayo shikrim can hardly walk because there is so much lukshen kugel and chulent in their ass, they will scream shaigets arois, and shiksa shiksa shiksa then they will run run run to the next shnor station , it's the best thing that could happen , just draft them , they will have to make exersize and learn a trade, and stop smoking at high noon in kikar hashaboss, go bibi go

[MM]

"Only one problem: what country would take nonproductive unworldly techno-illiterate unemployables with huge families?

Oops..."

Well, Tunisia has invited its Jews to return. Perhaps the Tunisians could be persuaded to take the whole lot....

[Ben]

MM, dream on..

[Alter Kocker]

A Civil war? Hmmmm, would the Haredim last a week, a month, a day or several hours. Lets see, on one hand you have the IDF, one of the best trained armies on the planet with full technological backup and very good firearms.

Then you have the Haredim. No weapons, not really used to physical labor, so physically weak or overweight, wear long hot black clothing even in summer, scratchy beards and sideburns that are the perfect breeding grounds for lice.

Which side will win? Civil war over in a few minutes.

Now...what to do with the P.O.W.'s

[S M L]

Well, Tunisia has invited its Jews to return. Perhaps the Tunisians could be persuaded to take the whole lot....

Tunisia's Jews never fit the description of unemployables. They were leading lights. Not sure what's left of them now or what their status is in Israel however I can see why a country might want to repatriate Jews like those described in this Wikipedia excerpt.

"...From the beginning of the 18th century the political status of the Jews in Tunis improved. This was due to the increasing influence of the political agents of the European powers, who, while seeking to ameliorate the condition of the Christian residents, had to plead also the cause of the Jews, whom Muslim legislation classed with Christians. Joseph Azulai, who visited Tunis in 1772, described in glowing terms the influence at court of the caid Solomon Nataf. Forty-two years later the United States consul to Tunis, Mordecai M. Noah, gave the following account of the situation of the Tunisian Jews:("Travels in Europe and Africa," p. 308, New York, 1819).

"With all the apparent oppression, the Jews are the leading men; they are in Barbary the principal mechanics, they are at the head of the custom-house, they farm the revenues; the exportation of various articles, and the monopoly of various merchandise, are secured to them by purchase, they control the mint and regulate the coinage of money, they keep the bey's jewels and valuable articles, and are his treasurers, secretaries, and interpreters; the little known of arts, science, and medicine is confined to the Jews. If a Jew commits a crime, if the punishment affects his life, these people, so national, always purchase his pardon; the disgrace of one affects the whole community; they are ever in the presence of the bey, every minister has two or three Jewish agents, and when they unite to attain an object, it cannot be prevented. These people, then, whatever may be said of their oppression, possess a very controlling influence, their friendship is worthy of being preserved by public functionaries, and their opposition is to be dreaded."

[Jeff]

If a Jew commits a crime, if the punishment affects his life, these people, so national, always purchase his pardon; the disgrace of one affects the whole community

It used to be that Jews took care of one another. Those days are gone and they aren't coming back. Today we follow the teachings of the Adelsoner Rebbe - it's every Jew for him (or her) self.