Chabad Rabbis Oppose Inclusion of Hasid in Otzma Yehudit Party List

The Chabad rabbinical court in Israel has issued a strong statement against the inclusion of activist Yossi Goldberger in the electoral list of the Otzma Yehudit party. The decision by party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir to grant Goldberger, a 39-year-old Chabad Hasid, founder of the "Givat-Lubavitch" community in Lod, and a political consultant, the guaranteed ninth spot on the list, prompted the opposition. In an open letter signed by 16 prominent Chabad rabbis, it was emphasized that this move was made without the rabbinical court's consent and contradicts the movement's established stance on political involvement. The rabbis warned that Goldberger's candidacy risks associating the entire Chabad movement with a specific political platform, thereby misleading the public. The signatories stated that Chabad aims to unite all segments of the Jewish people and fundamentally does not identify with any electoral bloc. This position aligns with the directives of the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who strictly prohibited Hasidim from holding positions in political parties or running for the Knesset on behalf of the movement. However, the Rebbe viewed voting in elections as a direct religious and public duty for every Jew. He urged Hasidim to vote for the most religious parties that uphold traditional values and the Torah, while strictly forbidding support for any political forces or leaders willing to make territorial concessions. In the recent elections, residents of Kfar Chabad voted overwhelmingly for the "Tzionut Datit" and Otzma Yehudit bloc, which received 56.28% of the votes. The "Yahadut HaTorah" bloc came in second with 19.12%, followed by the Shas party with 12.59%, and the Likud party with 10.62%.