Shas Party Election Video Promises Blessings for Votes, Violating Law
Translated & summarized from Israel Hayom by baba
The Shas party released an election video featuring Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira promising blessings and salvation to those who vote for the party, a clear violation of the Knesset Elections Law. The rabbi stated his late father, Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, instructed him to continue supporting Shas. The Central Elections Committee has previously enforced this law against Shas. The video explicitly promises "all the salvations, and all the blessings, and all the good" to voters.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Shas party released a video featuring Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira promising blessings for votes.
- The video violates the Knesset Elections Law prohibiting vote solicitation through blessings.
- Rabbi Abuhatzeira claimed his late father, Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, instructed him to support Shas.
- The Central Elections Committee has previously enforced this law against Shas.
- The rabbi promised "all the salvations, and all the blessings, and all the good" to voters.
The Shas party has released an election video featuring Rabbi Baruch Abuhatzeira, known as "Baba Baruch," urging the public to vote for the party and promising blessings and salvation to those who do. This action directly contravenes the Knesset Elections Law, which explicitly prohibits soliciting votes by offering blessings, a rule the Central Elections Committee has previously enforced against Shas.
In the video, Rabbi Abuhatzeira states he consulted his late father, Rabbi Israel Abuhatzeira, "Baba Sali," regarding the election. He claims his father instructed him to continue supporting Shas, as he had done for years. The rabbi explained that he never takes a step without his father's permission and that his father had told him to continue supporting Shas in elections, as he and other family rabbis had done previously.
Rabbi Abuhatzeira justified his support for Shas based on its work for Israeli children and the public, as well as its leadership. He declared, "So today too, no matter what has been revealed about Shas until today, we will continue, with God's help, to vote for Shas."
However, the video goes further than a simple endorsement, with Rabbi Abuhatzeira explicitly promising blessings to those who cast their vote for the party. "I promise everyone who votes for Shas - my holy father told me: everyone who votes, whatever you tell him, I promise him all the salvations, and all the blessings, and all the good written in our holy Torah," he stated. He added, "Only they, and only they can do for the people of Israel, and for the redemption of the people of Israel, to hasten the redemption and bring it. So each and every one of you will vote for Shas, and will have all good." The Knesset Elections Law prohibits influencing voters through the promise of blessings. The Central Elections Committee has previously clarified that "lists are forbidden from soliciting voters by promising blessings or distributing amulets."
The Shas video contains both prohibited elements: a direct call to vote for the party and the explicit promise of blessings and salvation for voters.
