Religious Zionist Circles Seek Alliance With Gadi Eisenkot, Says Gringlik

Tzvika Gringlik, father of IDF officer Capt. Shauli Gringlik, who fell in the battles in the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedentedly sharp attack against the conduct of the ultra-Orthodox parties in the Knesset. In an interview this morning (Thursday) with Anat Davidov and Nissim Mashal on Radio 103FM, Gringlik expressed deep pain and anger following the preliminary approval of the Basic Law on Torah Study, which seeks to equate the status of Torah learners with that of those serving in the army. "We know how to study Torah and we value the importance of Torah, but there is one thing we have not done and we still have not received money for Torah study," Gringlik said, casting a critical light on the Religious Zionist movement's partnership with Torah and practical service. He continued in a sharp tone against ultra-Orthodox public representatives and said, "There is a group of political operatives here who have turned the Torah into a Torah of money."

Amid the harsh criticism of the draft law and the budgets, Gringlik surprised listeners and revealed that behind the scenes, a significant new political initiative is taking shape among broad circles in the national-religious public, which are looking for an alternative to the current leadership of the sector. According to his statement, the goal of that group is to create a political home that combines Torah study and military service, while expressing full confidence in former IDF Chief of Staff and former cabinet minister MK Gadi Eisenkot (The National Unity Party). "I am involved in an organization of the Religious Zionist public, and the goal is to join with Eisenkot," Gringlik shared his practical plans ahead of the next political campaign, and concluded with a firm determination about who he believes is the right leader to head the bloc: "I think he is the most suitable."