When Election Campaigns Enter the Synagogue

The article argues that holding elections during the Hebrew month of Elul and the High Holiday season would amount to cynical political engineering, especially if parties try to use religious sentiment to win votes. It says the coalition may seek to move voters to the polls by exploiting a period traditionally associated with repentance, prayer and spiritual reflection, and that this would come at the expense of both the sanctity of the season and the public interest.

The piece cites a long list of religious appeals that it says have been used in past campaigns, especially by Shas and other religious parties, including promises of salvation and livelihood, amulets against the evil eye, special prayers at Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s grave on election day, a prayer for soul redemption, and certificates for voters tied to a Torah scroll project. It says such practices are prohibited under election law and can constitute a criminal offense, but are difficult to enforce.

The author contrasts this with the standard democratic contract, under which parties should present policies on security, the economy, education and transportation, not claims of divine protection or mystical benefits. He warns that once politicians replace accountability with blessings, amulets and promises of heavenly protection, they escape responsibility for solving practical problems such as housing, collapsing public systems and serious security policy.

The article also notes that early September, if elections were moved there, would fall in the middle and end of Elul, making it attractive for politicians who want to tap into heightened religiosity. It concludes that election campaigning would pollute the atmosphere of the High Holidays with aggression, spin and division, and asks whether another date should be chosen.

Separately, the author says he is troubled by Israelis who gather information for Iran, and notes that a well-known rabbi recently had to warn his followers not to cooperate with Iranian approaches. He says this shows both the danger of such conduct and the unusual need for religious authority to deliver a message that should be obvious on its own.