Prominent Rabbi Declares Support for Noam Party in Upcoming Elections

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, president of the Ateret Yerushalayim yeshiva, has publicly declared his intention to vote for the Noam party in the upcoming elections. In an article published on the "Olam Katan" website, Rabbi Aviner explained his reasoning, emphasizing the paramount importance he places on voting for this specific party.

"I will vote for Noam. And why? I love all the parties, they are all part of the people of Israel, each one is a piece, but this is the most important piece for me," Rabbi Aviner wrote. He differentiated between parties focused on the "body of the nation", economy and security, and Noam, which he believes represents the "soul of the nation." He argued that while the former is crucial, the latter is "squared" in importance.

Rabbi Aviner warned of spiritual and cultural decline, linking it directly to national resilience. He stated, "The revival of the nation in its land is based on its Torah. Without the soul, the main thing is missing from the book, the oxygen is missing. Without it, we will not succeed even in economy and security." He cited Napoleon's saying that morale is worth three times as much as weaponry, and lamented perceived failures in education and the military, calling them matters of "life and death."

Addressing critics who doubt the party's electoral chances, Rabbi Aviner drew parallels to historical moments in Zionism and settlement, such as the establishment of the state and settlements in Judea and Samaria. "You tell me: 'You will not succeed.' But when we wanted to establish a state, you said 'you will not succeed' and we succeeded," he wrote, adding, "I do not know if we will succeed, but I know that if we do not try, we will certainly not succeed. And since this is a matter of saving a life, saving a soul, we must try."

He concluded with a call for strengthening faith and courage, asserting, "We are not like all the nations! We need the holy and we need the mundane. Until now, we have dealt mainly with the mundane, now we will begin with the holy. If we do not succeed this time, we will succeed next time. There are always ups and downs, and in the end, ups. We are not dreamers, we are realists. We hear a voice from the soul of the nation: Arise! Add courage!"