Rabbis Mobilized to Sway Voters in Israeli Election Campaigns
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Rabbis are actively involved in Israeli election campaigns, influencing voters across various sectors, from Haredi to Religious Zionist communities. Key figures like Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef for Shas and Rabbis Dov Lando and Moshe Hillel Hirsch for United Torah Judaism are leading mobilization efforts. Parties like Otzma Yehudit and Noam are also leveraging rabbinic endorsements. While some rabbis urge voting for specific parties, others, particularly from extremist factions, advocate abstention.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Rabbis are actively campaigning to influence voters across multiple Israeli political parties.
- Shas and United Torah Judaism feature their leading rabbis prominently in election efforts.
- Religious Zionist parties are highlighting rabbinic endorsements to attract their voter base.
- Otzma Yehudit and Noam parties are also utilizing rabbinic support for their campaigns.
- Some extremist rabbis are calling for abstention from voting, rejecting the state's legitimacy.
Rabbis are playing a significant role in the current Israeli election campaigns, extending beyond the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) parties to influence voters across various religious and traditional sectors. In many communities, voting is guided by religious directives, with rabbis acting as key figures in mobilizing support for specific parties.
For Shas, a Sephardic Haredi party, its spiritual leader, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, is actively campaigning. He recently traveled to Netivot to rally support from the traditional Sephardic public. He is joined by other prominent rabbis within Shas's Council of Torah Sages, including Rabbi Avraham Sellem, Rabbi Reuven Elbaz, Rabbi Shmuel Betzalel, Rabbi Moshe Maya, Rabbi Shlomo Machfoud, and Rabbi Yehuda Cohen, who represent diverse segments of the Haredi community.
In the United Torah Judaism party, rabbis are also at the forefront. At a large rally in Bnei Brak, leaders of the Lithuanian faction, Rabbi Dov Lando and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, urged attendees to vote for the party, warning of dire spiritual consequences if they did not. The Hasidic faction, Agudat Yisrael, received a directive from the Grand Rabbi of Ger, Yaakov Aryeh Alter, to vote for the party, a call echoed by other Hasidic rebbes.
Even parties attempting to challenge the established Haredi parties are enlisting rabbinic support. Rabbis like Karmi Gross and Yehoshua Pepper are associated with these efforts. In the Religious Zionist sector, while rabbinic directives are not considered binding, parties are highlighting rabbinic endorsements to attract voters. Prominent rabbis such as Yaakov Ariel, Zalman Melamed, and Yaakov Shapira are lending their support.
Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, identifies Rabbi Dov Lior as its spiritual authority, with Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu also expressing support. The Noam party, led by Avi Maoz, is backed by rabbis from the "Har HaMor" Yeshiva, including its president, Rabbi Tzvi Tau, despite low poll numbers.
Interestingly, even Gadi Eisenkot's Yishai party has a spiritual figurehead in Grand Rabbi Hosea Friedman ben Shalom, a former IDF reserve colonel and head of a pre-military academy. Conversely, some Haredi rabbis, like Tzvi Friedman, advocate abstaining from voting altogether, rejecting the legitimacy of the state. Negotiations were also held with Rabbi Moshe Tzadka, who ultimately called for voting for Shas after initially considering a call for abstention.
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