Gerrer Rebbe Orders Vote for United Torah Judaism, Omits Call to Action
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
The Gerrer Rebbe has instructed his followers to vote for the United Torah Judaism party in the upcoming elections, as published in "HaModia." However, the directive omits a previous call for active mobilization, raising questions about the community's level of engagement. This comes amid fears within the Netanyahu bloc of reduced participation from the Gerrer Hasidim, whose electoral power is estimated at over 30,000 votes.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- The Gerrer Rebbe ordered followers to vote for United Torah Judaism using the symbol 'Gimel'.
- The directive was published in the newspaper "HaModia" on Sunday.
- The instruction omits a previous call for active mobilization and campaigning.
- This omission is significant for UTJ's reliance on grassroots activists.
- The Netanyahu bloc fears reduced participation from the Gerrer Hasidim.
- The Gerrer Hasidim's electoral power is estimated at over 30,000 votes.
The Gerrer Rebbe has issued a directive for his followers to vote for the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) party in the upcoming elections, according to a notice published in the newspaper "HaModia." The directive, attributed to the Rebbe, explicitly asks "all our people" to vote for the UTJ list, which uses the symbol 'Gimel' for Agudath Israel.
This instruction comes amid internal disputes within UTJ and concerns that some Gerrer Hasidim might abstain from voting. While the directive clearly calls for casting a ballot for UTJ, it notably omits a phrase commonly included in previous election cycles: a call for followers to "act and mobilize" for the party.
This omission is significant in the context of Haredi elections, where active campaigning and voter mobilization are crucial. The current instruction focuses solely on individual voting, lacking an explicit appeal for grassroots efforts like persuading other voters or ensuring their arrival at polling stations. This difference could impact UTJ, which relies heavily on organized activists from Hasidic courts and Haredi communities.
The announcement follows reports from Channel 12 suggesting that the Netanyahu bloc fears an "Italian strike" from the Gerrer Hasidim, meaning a lack of enthusiastic participation in the election campaign. The electoral power of the Gerrer Hasidim is estimated at over 30,000 votes, with additional influence on other voter groups. Sources within the Hasidut have confirmed anger towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with reports of limited election activity and a lack of significant ground mobilization.
