New Haredi Party Attacks Yahadut HaTorah Chairman Over Shabbat Interview
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
Moti Leitner's "HaTzibur HaCharedi" party has launched a strong attack against Yaakov Asher, chairman of Yahadut HaTorah, for agreeing to an interview on a program airing during Shabbat. The party accused Asher of desecrating God's name and criticized Yahadut HaTorah's leadership for prioritizing power over religious values. A senior figure within Yahadut HaTorah also called for the interview's cancellation, deeming it a "disgrace and desecration of the holy Shabbat."
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Moti Leitner's party accuses Yahadut HaTorah chairman Yaakov Asher of desecrating Shabbat.
- Asher's planned interview on "Meet the Press" is scheduled to air before Shabbat ends.
- The "HaTzibur HaCharedi" party claims Yahadut HaTorah's leadership seeks only to preserve power.
- A senior Yahadut HaTorah figure called the interview a "disgrace and desecration of the holy Shabbat."
- The dispute intensifies tensions between the two Haredi parties before upcoming elections.
The "HaTzibur HaCharedi" (The Haredi Public) party, led by Moti Leitner, has joined a sharp attack against Yaakov Asher, the chairman of the Yahadut HaTorah party, over his planned participation in a television program scheduled to air on Shabbat. The party accused Asher of "desecrating God's name" and criticized the leadership of Yahadut HaTorah, claiming their primary concern is "preserving their corrupt power" rather than religious values.
The controversy centers on Asher's scheduled interview on the "Meet the Press" program on Channel 12, which begins broadcasting at 6:00 PM on Saturday, before Shabbat concludes. While Asher's associates stated the interview would be filmed on Friday and aired after Shabbat, critics focus on the program's broadcast time during the holy day. The "HaTzibur HaCharedi" party asserted that Asher is "deliberately choosing to desecrate God's name and bring about a mass desecration of Shabbat" by appearing on the program.
This public dispute escalates tensions between Yahadut HaTorah and the newly formed "HaTzibur HaCharedi" party ahead of the upcoming 26th Knesset elections. The new party alleges that Yahadut HaTorah is actively working against its supporters. The "HaTzibur HaCharedi" party also claimed that Rabbi Dov Lando did not grant approval for Asher's participation in the program.
Criticism of Asher's appearance also emerged from within Yahadut HaTorah. A senior figure in the party described the decision as a "disgrace and desecration of the holy Shabbat," demanding the interview be canceled. This figure emphasized the importance of Asher's actions given that "hundreds of thousands of religious and traditional Jews are watching what the chairman of Yahadut HaTorah and Shabbat will do."
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