With only hours to go before the deadline, the National Religious Party and National Union announced an election merger, as did the two Ashekanazi hareidi parties.
At 2 AM, representatives of the two leading religious-Zionist parties signed an agreement to run together as one bloc. The two parties are the National Union, comprising three factions, and the National Religious Party. The first four places will be occupied by the leaders of the four factions, in this order: Benny Elon (Moledet and National Union Chairman, pictured on left), Zevulun Orlev (NRP, pictured on right), Tzvi Hendel (Tekumah), and Effie Eitam (Religious Zionist Renewal).In fifth place is Nissan Slomiansky of the NRP.
At a joint press conference today led by the above five, MK Benny Elon said, "We have united in order to lead the right-wing, and in order to lead the country - no less."
MK Orlev said, "This united list is the best answer to the very bad feeling that the religious-Zionist public has about the continuing assault on its values and institutions. The Kadima government represents a dangerous threat to the Jewish identity of this country, as well as to social justice and values."
The newly unified rightwing bloc immediately becomes a formidable political party in the coming Israeli elections. Not enough to win the majority of course, but they will certainly make a strong showing and that is very good news.
It was a bit of a surprise that they got it together, actually, as the fighting between the two parties over leadership made it appear highly unlikely they could strike a deal. Thankfully, they did and now Benny Elon will become a serious force to be reckoned with in the Knesset.
-MZ
12 comments:
I am not sure why you are so happy. Elon is willing to trade Eretz Yisrael to our enemies if there is a nationl referendum and the NRP is utterly worthless.
Don't be so quick to count out the right in Israel's election. The Hamas government may focus the minds of at least some Jews. The media do not have a good record on picking election winners. Maybe G-d will tip the scales.
Yeah I don't want to get too happy yet. I am a huge Ha'ichud HaLeumi supporter, but we'll need more unity to secure the future.
Kahanaloyalist, I agree with you that NRP is worthless, however I think you are failing to give Benny Elon's tremendous body of work towards the expansion of Eretz Yisroel the proper due respect.
Regarding the benefit of the union,I think it will attract a greater Knesset representation, perhaps as many as a dozen seats, that will oppose any future Land concessions.
Orlev is indeed a pussy and a sellout opportunist, but the National Union will force his hand to stay the course of true loyalty to Eretz Yiroel in my opinion.
The question is if Orlev would pull out of the alliance to jump on board with whatever concessionist government is in the majority so he can get a choice ministerial appointment in the cabinet. I say if he tries to do that he'll be going by himself because the others in NRP are not quite as far left as he is.
The NU are all traitors, they are the succsesors to Geula Cohen. It was she who created the Law that got Rabbi Kahane's Kach party banned from elections and she did it not for philosophical reasons. But because she feared losing votes. I can never support people who sold out the Torah for their own power and it is beyond me how anyone can.
Not sure why you believe they are traitors. It was the late Rehavem Zeevi who founded Moledet, the party which Benny Elon now heads, and it was Zeevi and now his successor Elon who've called for the arabs be expelled from Eretz Yisroel. I think you have confused them for somebody else.
You are both traitors. The point is Elon wants to expel innocent Muslims and Kahane wanted to kill innocent Muslims, so either way we're talking about religious and ethnic hatred.
The difference between you two is fractional. MZ hates Muslims because they aren't Jews and so does this crazy Kahane loyalist wacko, except on a slightly higher scale. You both give Jews a bad name.
MZ, NU was formed by the union of nationsalistic parties including Moledet and Geula Cohen's party.
Truth, no Goy who is not Ger Toshav may live in Eretz Yisrael this is universally accepted. The Arabs aren't Ger Toshav, as such they must be driven out of Eretz Yisrael.
I do not care if following the Torah makes the Goyim think less of me. If you are jewish, your fear of the Goyim is a terrible Avera. Check out Rambam Hilchos Melachim where the Rambam rules explicitly as i have written.
JB,
Christianity, in spite of the somewhat fuzzy concept of the trinity, is accepted as legitimate monotheism by Jewish law. No less than the great Rambam himself has affirmed this.
Ger Toshav usually refers to those who live by the seven Noahide Laws and are friends to the Jews.
You are correct in saying that some extreme elements of the religious Zionist movement won't except anyone but fully observant Orthodox Jews to be allowed to live in the Land of Israel. However,they are a tiny and insignificant minority, and one which I and most others consider racist.
They are undoubtedly sure that the Moshiach will come once they've cleansed the land of all who are not "pure" so that they won't have to worry about such matters.
That said, they are a tiny, fringe element that doesn't even merit this much attention from us.
I think you could say they are the same category as the minute sect known as Naturei Karta Jews (hareidi who despise a pre-messianic Israel and support the Arab terrorists), only on the opposite extreme.
That said, 99% of the Jewish "religious right" simply want a Jewish State that first and foremost respects Torah and includes all the land that is Eretz Yisroel.
Secular Jews who will fight for the Land of Israel and the rights of the Jewish people, or rightous gentiles who stand by the Jewish State and offer friendship, are most welcome by nearly all the rightwing Jews.
-MZ
MZ, you are incorrect, the Rambam rules that Christianity is Avodah Zara. It is conmsidered a lesser form of Avodah Zara but is Avodah Zara nontheless.
Aethism is considered worse than Avodah Zara.
MZ, I dont know of any RZ who only want the religious to live in Israel. Could you provide some links?
Kahaneloyalist,
After doing some research I've found your opinion to be the correct one. I had been told by a source whom I valued that the opposite was true, (i.e. Christianity was not Avoda Zara) and he was in fact wrong. The Rambam clearly said the opposite.
He did, however, favorably distinguish Christianity from Islam on one very important aspect: that they do accept the Torah as divine while the moslems do not.
As far as the RZ extremes, well, those who would not permit anyone Avoda Zara from living in the Land also would not permit a secular Jew who has rejected Torah to live in Israel, as they are seen as heretics.
Go to Wikpedia for info on this.
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