Tel-Chai Nation

David Weinberg reminds everybody why, despite the questionable ruling by the supreme court, Shas leader Aryeh Deri still doesn't deserve to be an Israeli government minister:

Deri was one of the father-figures of the Haredi world of dependency, of living off the dole. He was central to the creation of the all-encompassing government-support system for those studying in yeshiva; a system so comprehensive that it simply does not pay for a kollel student to step out into the working world.

He has never spoken positively about the higher education and professional training programs for ultra-Orthodox men and women that have opened in recent years, nor has he said one word about the importance of increased participation of Haredi men in the army.

So of course, his actual belief in the importance of vigilance for Israel's sake is under a question mark.

Deri also was behind the infamous, racist "Kochavit Giyur" ("Dial-a-Conversion") advertising campaign that Shas ran several election campaigns ago. This campaign smeared Russian olim as counterfeit converts, and slandered Religious Zionist rabbis as liberal destroyers of conversion standards.

Deri spawned the failed "stinking maneuver" in 1990 that brought down the unity government led by then-Prime Minister Shamir and attempted to install a narrow Shimon Peres-led government instead. Then, Deri purchased the Labor Party's support for Haredi takeover of state religious enterprises (such as the Chief Rabbinate and religious courts) by backing the Oslo process – until Palestinian terrorism made it too difficult for Shas voters to stomach this.

[...] The fact that Deri has been caught in criminal violations more than once and gone to jail has not stopped him. He brushes this off by presenting himself as a persecuted man whose concern for the poor will bring salvation to the downtrodden of Israel.

What Deri led to in the past was very serious, and he has to take accountability for it, which he tragically never will. So, even if the supreme court's ruling wasn't in good faith, does Deri deserve to work in politics? No. There's only so much trouble he's caused that he's going to continue causing. We really don't need him working in the political world anymore.

Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, Knesset, military, Moonbattery, political corruption