New Haredi Party Challenges Establishment, Offers Alternative Politics
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
A new Haredi political party is challenging the established ultra-Orthodox political order by offering individual, rational voting independent of rabbinical authority. Despite voter concerns about the electoral threshold and candidate legitimacy, the party aims to address perceived failures of existing leadership on issues like conscription and social scandals. The author, Eliezer Hyon, argues that supporting the party, regardless of its electoral success, represents a crucial opportunity for change and a historical step towards a new Haredi political future.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A new Haredi party seeks to offer voters an alternative to traditional rabbinical-backed political representation.
- Young Haredi voters express fear of wasting votes and question the new party's candidates and rabbinical support.
- The party aims to address perceived failures of existing Haredi politicians on issues like conscription and social scandals.
- Launching the new party required immense resources and overcoming significant social and political barriers.
- The author urges support, stating that the vote's impact extends beyond election results to signaling a desire for change.
A new Haredi political party, distinct from established factions like Shas and UTJ, has emerged as a significant force within the ultra-Orthodox political sphere. This party aims to offer a different kind of representation, focusing on individual, rational voting that doesn't rely on traditional rabbinical authority. The emergence of such a party is seen as a response to recent events, including the Meron disaster, sexual abuse scandals, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the October 7th massacre, which have highlighted perceived failures of existing Haredi leadership.
Despite the perceived need for an alternative, many young Haredi voters are hesitant to support the new party due to concerns about the electoral threshold and the potential for their votes to be wasted. They also question the credentials and rabbinical backing of the new party's candidates, particularly its female candidates, compared to the established "great rabbis of the generation." These fears are acknowledged as legitimate, but the article argues that voters are not fully aware of the crucial axiom of an alternative path.
For years, there has been simmering discontent within the Haredi community regarding the status quo of Haredi politics, with many feeling that established representatives fail to address critical issues like conscription, educational budgets, racist or sexist statements, and the handling of sexual abuse cases. The new party's activists claim to have faced significant social, communal, and economic barriers, as well as opposition from the established Haredi political establishment, in their efforts to promote change.
The article emphasizes the immense mental, social, and economic resources required to launch this ambitious initiative, suggesting it represents a rare opportunity. It urges voters not to succumb to fear and frustration, warning that failing to support this alternative could lead to regret when facing ongoing issues like discriminatory statements, the conscription debate, and barriers to integration into higher education and the workforce.
Whether the new party crosses the electoral threshold or not, the author, Eliezer Hyon, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, posits that the voting percentage will serve as a valuable indicator of the desire for change. He believes that even a significant showing, short of election, will mark a historical milestone towards a new, responsible, and God-sanctifying Haredi politics, demonstrating that the community can take its destiny into its own hands.
