Degel HaTorah Denounces Right-Wing "Patronage" in Strong Editorial

The ultra-Orthodox political party Degel HaTorah, through its newspaper Yated Ne'eman, has published an unusually sharp editorial rejecting its classification as part of the "right-wing bloc" and criticizing what it calls the "patronage" and threats from right-wing politicians. The editorial asserts that the Haredi public is not the private property of any political faction and pushes back against attempts by right-wing leaders to dictate terms.

The strong response comes after the Haredi representation reportedly received "warnings" that they would not be able to return to the right-wing bloc if the conscription law was not settled before the formation of an alternative government. Yated Ne'eman labeled these actions as the "peak of hypocrisy and audacity."

The editorial questions when the Haredi public became an inseparable part of the right-wing bloc, especially given what it describes as a history of "take and not give" and "promises not kept" by secular political groups. It emphasizes the autonomous stance of Orthodox Judaism, stating, "We are not right-wing! Not right-wing and not left-wing! We are the opinion of the Torah! We are as instructed!"

Degel HaTorah argues that accusations of "leftism" against them are merely political tools used during elections and that their historical alignment with the right was not due to ideological agreement but because the Israeli left has consistently sought to uproot religion. However, when the Haredi public needed protection for yeshiva and kollel students, the right proved to be no better than the left, with their "right is a false right."

The editorial specifically blames members of the Likud party and religious-nationalist Knesset members for obstructing the conscription law in the previous Knesset and for denigrating yeshiva students. It claims that many "partners from the right" applauded harsh decrees against the Haredi public, decrees more severe than those imposed on the children of terrorists.

The context for the editorial is Degel HaTorah's recent dramatic decision not to recommend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for president. A senior Degel HaTorah official explained that Rabbi Dovid Landau had clarified before the elections that the movement was not part of any bloc, a statement that was not taken seriously by the political establishment, particularly the Likud.

The editorial concludes with a firm message to those issuing threats and moral lectures from the right: "Do not threaten, do not preach, and we owe you no explanation or answer. Do not try to present yourselves as the owners and patrons of the Torah study public. We do not owe you explanations for our loyalty, because our loyalty was never given to you in the first place, and you had no loyalty to us."