Ultra-Orthodox Leaders Rally Ahead of Election, Warn of Existential Threat

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered Sunday at the הרב לנדא Bridge in Bnei Brak for a massive election rally organized by the United Torah Judaism party. The event, held just two days before election day, featured prominent rabbis and heads of yeshivas, including members of the Council of Torah Sages, aiming to galvanize the ultra-Orthodox public to vote for the party.

Rabbi Dov Landau, a Rosh Yeshiva, expressed severe distress, stating, "Never has there been such a terrible situation in the Land of Israel as we are in now. Never have yeshiva students and kollel members been persecuted as they are now." He urged the public to "save the world of Torah and its continued existence" by voting for the letter 'Gimel' (the party's ballot symbol), appealing even to those who have never voted for the party before.

Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch warned of spiritual dangers, claiming that "factors want to change the character and nature of religion in Israel." He specifically mentioned Reform Jews aiming to alter the religious landscape, which he believes could prevent future religious action. He stressed that this issue affects everyone in the ultra-Orthodox community, not just Torah scholars, and that abstaining from voting is forbidden.

Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman decried the "war on the holy Torah," particularly the push to draft yeshiva students into the army. He emphasized the obligation for self-sacrifice to protect Torah study, citing tradition from past leaders like Rabbi Chazon Ish and Rabbi Shach. He urged attendees to vote for United Torah Judaism as a form of "effort" and to demonstrate the community's adherence to Torah.

Other speakers, including Rabbi Eliyahu Pilz, Rabbi Tzvi Derkin, Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rabbi David Cohen, Rabbi Shmuel Rosenberg, and Rabbi Nissim Zochavsky, echoed the calls to vote for the party, emphasizing faith in God, adherence to rabbinical leadership, and the importance of sanctifying God's name through collective action. They countered arguments that voting is futile, stressing that individual effort is necessary even when relying on divine assistance.