Tel-Chai Nation

With Shas now joining a coalition with Ehud Olmert, I'd say that the time has come for all citizens of Israel who love and have faith in their country to do whatever they can to get through to Shas' leadership, because their approach is simply contemptuous. What does it say here...

Shas demanded and received four ministerial positions, 1.8 billion shekels for child allowance payments, understandings regarding civil marriages - and permission not to vote for the unilateral withdrawal plan when and if it is presented.

The government, as it stands now, numbers 67 MKs: Kadima-Pensioners (36), Labor (19), and Shas (12). United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu are still candidates to join the government coalition.

The road now appears to be clear for Ehud Olmert, as head of the new government, to attempt to carry out his unilateral withdrawal plan. Shas says it will vote against it, or possibly even quit the government, when and if the plan is presented to the Knesset. However, Olmert might not need their votes at the time, as he might choose to rely on the votes of non-government parties such as Meretz and the Arabs.

Arutz-7 attempted to speak with Shas MKs about this issue, but was unsuccessful. MK Amnon Cohen refused to talk; yesterday he said that the agreement had not been signed yet and that he would not address it in any way, and today he said he didn't know anything about it and refused to talk. MK Yitzchak Cohen said he was busy, and MK David Azulai's cell phone did not answer.

Shas Party spokesman Ro'i Lachmanovitch agreed to speak on Arutz-7 and said that if and when the withdrawal issue arises, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef will decide how the party's MKs are to vote. Asked what need there would be to discuss it given his long-standing objections to unilateral land-giveaways, Lachmanovitch said, "It depends on the circumstances. But I truly don't want to get into that now, because not only has the egg not yet been hatched, the chicken hasn't even been born."

Shas leader Eli Yishai promised former MK Chanan Porat, as well as others, that he would not sign an agreement that included the uprooting of communities.

Asked afterwards to relate to the fact that his party, by the very act of joining the coalition, enables the establishment of the government and the future presentation of the withdrawal plan, Lachmanovitch said, "If we hadn't joined, Olmert would have taken Yisrael Beiteinu and Meretz... Yisrael Beiteinu has long accepted the withdrawal plan."

Yisrael Beiteinu head Avigdor Lieberman recently told Army Radio, "I have said clearly, even after the elections, that we are willing to talk about concessions and the formation of new borders. I think that new borders that are recognized by the international community are a worthwhile compensation. A withdrawal without any compensation is a surrender to terrorism. We already retreated without anything in return in Gush Katif, and we see what we received: Hamas and Kassams..."

United Torah Judaism and the National Union/National Religious Party have only criticism for Shas. "Their only social welfare achievement was to get jobs [ministerial positions - ed.] for four of their party leaders," according to a statement by NU/NRP.

UTJ said that Shas' claimed coalition achievements are less than they seem. UTJ officials said that some of the money Shas received for child allowances would have been given in any event, while other portions of it are to be used for "children at risk" and not for across-the-board child allowances. The Ashkenazi hareidi-religious party also had criticism of Shas' alleged religious services gains.

So let's see what we have here. 3 members of Shas wouldn't say anything, and another one who did tried to avoid the hard questions? I'm sorry, but all that Shas is doing as a result is to bewilder the public's intellect, and this calls for some kind of protest. United Torah Judaism has questioned the way they're going into the government, and it should be noted that Shas initially agreed with UTJ to negotiate and join together, but then broke that agreement. The problem here is apparently - Shas is interested in money, but who knows if it's for the general public, as it should be?

So as I pointed out earlier, it would do good to see how you can get in touch with anyone familiar with the Shas party, and here's their website and e-mail address, avidaniiz@012.net.il through which to contact. And, here's the phone numbers of some of their Knesset members, if you can call them:

David Azulai: 04-9815233, 0505-494151

Nissim Ze'ev: 02-5374319, 0505-411752

Amnon Cohen: 08-9230340, 0505-515361

Yitzhak Cohen: 08-6738063, 0505-457005

Yaakov Margi: 08-6420211, 0544-962020

It would be foolish to just sit around as they go in with an Olmert-led coalition, all the more reason to become active on this. Mattot Arim also asks if you could report on what results you can get to mattot.arim@gmail.com as soon as possible.

And while I'm on the subject, here's some more important notes to make: the Likud, especially Netanyahu, would do good to meet with and talk with expellees from Gaza to get some insight on their troubles, farmers included, and also residents of Ashkelon, Ashdod and Sderot, whose lives are in danger of kassam rockets fired by the Hamas/Fatah/Islamic Jihad from Gaza.

And: the National Union would do well to apologize to the Likud and the public as well for their "anti-Bibi" hatemongering, which, if you ask me, was libellous and hypocritical.

It's all a matter of opinion, but I will say that, for a party where half the leadership is religious, there's a very sharp question to be posed here: since when did the Jewish bible ever approve of such measures as smear tactics? Far as I know, it does not, and Torah scholars of yore would doubtless be ashamed of those National Union leaders who stoked their disgusting TV commercials and other ads, which offered no depth or anything else to inspire and educate the public in Israel. And I don't think they'd approve of Rabbi Benny Elon's lying about the party's campaign either. He said:

Asked if most of his efforts during this campaign are on behalf of his party, or for the sake of the right-wing bloc, MK Elon said, "It's a good question, because in fact we have two goals: to be the largest party within this bloc, and to make sure that it is strong and powerful so that it can be a real alternative. At the start of this electoral campaign, our parties attacked each other a lot, such as the Likud against Yisrael Beiteinu, and the like. I felt that this was very damaging, and I tried to change this, and I feel that these efforts have borne fruit, and we are realizing that we have to work in a more united way..."

Ah ah ah, Elon. No. You. Didn't. You kept running those bottom-feeder ads on television, and, come to think of it, even in flyercards, that basically attacked the Likud by implying that they were as corrupt as Kadima's own leaders are, without making any sense, you acted like pure ingrates, and it was not only damaging to morale, it also caused considerable damage to the election results. Which begs the question: does that not violate the Tenth Commandment, thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor? Just what kind of rabbi are you anyway, who goes along and tries to stir hatred against another person, regardless of whether he's a bad lot or not? Jewish teaching does not accept libels like that. Your disgusting little ads are mainly what led to so many people not wanting to vote, and you took the sob-story route about being expelled from Gaza, yet at the same time leaving the residents of Ashkelon, whose city is in danger of kassam rockets, out in the cold. And if that's the kind of route you're going to take, what justification do you have for representing the community you supposedly do?

Which is why a call must also be sounded for Elon to resign, as well as a few other members of his "party". It's a subject that's just as important as the problems that Shas is causing. So here too is their own website, and e-mail address, zevinzion@yahoo.com, and phone number, 1-800-20-33-22, to call and give the NU a piece of your mind.

Others on the subject include Israel Matzav, Israel and the Sin of Expulsion, Arlene from Israel, Religion Clause, Israel Perspectives, Mad Zionist, Menorah.

Labels: Judaism