Knesset Finance Committee chairman and head of the UTJ Public
Relations Staff for the upcoming election Rabbi Avrohom
Ravitz announced that the UTJ's slogan is: "To be a believing
Jew in our land," and that the party is seeking to broaden
its appeal in order to attract new voters such as the
traditional, national religious, and settlers in an attempt
to boost its Knesset seats from the current four.
"People know that true love of the land, according to the way
of the Torah, is with us, in United Torah Judaism. We wish to
provide a counterweight to the messages of distance and
alienation from our roots, from the Creator of the world and
from Jewish tradition, passed down from generation to
generation" that are being broadcast by the anti-religious
Left.
At a Jerusalem press conference launching UTJ's election
campaign, Rabbi Ravitz said he is worried about the growing
gap between chareidim and the secular and particularly the
messages coming out of certain parties. Such messages "take
us back 55 years to a period no one wants to live through
again," he said.
UTJ will not have a jingle because it does not want music
during sefiras haomer.
UTJ will try to reach out to the grass roots of the country,
including the residents of the development towns, the
traditional and the religious communities.
Rabbi Ravitz said that the main issues will be: the Jewish
character and identity of Israel, since there are deep
concerns that the lifestyles that are cultivated by the
current cultural heroes of Israeli society will lead to a
loss of Jewish identity; the importance of Jewish
education for all the children, which is always at the
top of the priorities of the vast majority of the religious
and traditional communities in Israel; the Jewish
home, including an insistence on the continued basic
control of matters of personal status by the Chief Rabbinate,
and standing firm against the attempts by the secularists and
heretical movements to undermine and destroy the Jewish
family through civil marriage and other means;
traditional, halachic conversions, without any
official recognition for the meaningless and unstructured
ceremonies- for-a-fee that are allowed by the heretical
movements; and respect for Shabbos as a Jewish value,
as the lack of respect for Shabbos in the public areas is a
deep wound in the Jewish character of the community in
Israel.
"It is the representatives of United Torah Judaism who lead,
with darchei noam, the forces struggling to preserve
and protect the traditional and religious values that are at
the top of the concerns of most of the community that keeps
the mitzvos and the traditions of the Jewish people," said
Rabbi Ravitz.
Rabbi Ravitz said the party will not initiate religious laws.
"We're not talking about legislating religious laws of one
kind or another and even in the past, in my opinion, we
didn't initiate these laws unless were pushed up against the
wall and had no choice. We are not interested in proposing
law which Israeli society is not prepared to live with,"
Rabbi Ravitz said.
Although he did not openly state who the party recommended as
candidate for prime minister, Rabbi Ravitz did say it would
not be One Israel leader Ehud Barak, who is committed to
passing a law repealing most draft deferments for yeshiva
students.
He described Shinui and Meretz as a militant minority, but
said the chareidim must also examine where they went wrong
"and maybe to change direction and go out more toward the
people" without giving up their values, beliefs and way of
life.
When asked about which candidate for prime minister the party
would support, Ravitz said, "There used to be a phenomenon of
the poritz [a Polish landlord] hitting his Jewish
employee and then telling him to kiss the stick. We have been
freed from this. But no one can expect that we will vote for
someone who hits us and attributes all society's ills to us
and clearly states from every platform that he will make us
change our way of life. I don't think this type of person
expects us to vote for him.
"However, I will say that lately there has been a change and
the messages have been softened and as someone who has dealt
for years with the world of the newly-religious, I accept
anyone who is penitent," he said.
Rabbi Ravitz said supporting Center Party candidate Yitzhak
Mordechai would be a waste of time.
Rabbi Meir Porush has warned that the Center Party's
intention to legislate a constitution is a transparent ruse
aimed at ridding the country of religious life.
Rabbi Porush called on Mordechai: "If you are really a
traditional Jew as you present yourself, I suggest you
immediately erase from your platform this unfortunate
'operative commitment' and don't listen to the bad counsel of
your friends Ronni Milo, the No. 1 enemy of the shomer
Shabbos in Israel, or Amnon Lipkin-Shahak, who supports
separating religion from state."
He said without religion as its national heart, Israel would
lose the basis for its existence and its links to Diaspora
Jewry. He said no religious or chareidi Jew will be able to
support Mordechai if this clause is not removed from the
platform. He said Mordechai has a record as a courageous
soldier in the battlefield and called on him to take the bold
decision to withdraw the clause.
The Third Way also criticized Shahak's call for a separation
of religion and state and said a party which is meant to
narrow social gaps has only widened the one between the
religious and the secular. "The Center Party has become a
branch of Meretz in both political-diplomatic and social
matters," a Third Way spokesman said.
United Torah Jewry (UTJ) election headquarters met on the
22nd of Nisan in Degel HaTorah's office, to discuss the
upcoming elections to the 15th Knesset.
The meeting was opened by Deputy Housing Minister Rabbi Meir
Porush, who noted that many varied groups from all sectors of
the community have joined together to insure the slate's
success, among them representatives of development towns,
settlers of the Yehuda and Shomron areas and new immigrants.
He also described the efforts being made in additional
sectors whose constituents do not customarily vote for
UTJ.
Rabbi Yehoshua Pollack welcomed the breakthrough into the new
sectors. Rabbi Uri Maklev also welcomed this new trend, yet
warned against the blurring of ideologies. "We must convey to
the public our clear messages regarding Shabbos, the Reform
movement, the religious councils and the courts," he said.
Rabbi Menachem Porush proposed a number of practical
suggestions, among them: the coordination of 200 speakers to
traverse the country to convey the movement's message, the
organization of Shabbos rallies in distant settlements, and
the founding of a special office to arouse the public from
its complacency regarding the elections.
Rabbi Moshe Irenstein proposed strengthening the link with
groups and communities that generally do not vote for UTJ,
while determining the golden mean to meet the demands of all
circles.
Rabbi Yisroel Eichler noted that people are not sufficiently
aware of the great danger imbedded in these elections, and
because of this they are complacent. "This is the chareidi
community's most difficult battle. The issues of the drafting
of yeshiva students and of the National Insurance subsidies
for large families are top on the agenda, but the public
remains indifferent, because it is not aware of the dangers
posed by Yossi Sarid, Roni Milo, Tommy Lapid and their ilk,"
he stressed. He also demanded that we not borrow election
slogans from Israel's national anthem, because UTJ has no
need for heretical motifs.
Rabbi Yisroel Moshe Friedman demanded that the clear message
of UTJ be conveyed on all issues. He also said, "We must
translate the success we enjoyed in the local councils to the
Knesset elections."
Rabbi Shmuel Halpert proposed the holding of Degel HaTorah
rallies, as was done at the initiative of Maran HaRav Eliezer
Menachem Shach, shlita, 18 years ago. These rallies
were the decisive factors in the success of the campaigns at
that time. He also proposed holding a similar rally for the
Chassidic sector, headed by Admorim and Chassidic community
leaders.
Rabbi Chanoch Verdiger noted that the current battle against
the chareidi and religious community is likely to bring back
many voters who previously voted for other parties.
Rabbi Dov Hendler suggested that the party consult marketing
experts and hold rallies for those who influence public
opinion in their respective groups. He complained that there
still is no center for potential volunteers. Rabbi Yehuda
Gerlitz proposed that UTJ organize itself immediately for
election day. He warned that this day is a decisive one.
Rabbi Yaakov Litzman said that maximal effort must be
invested in the potential voters' sector.
Rabbi Moshe Gafni said, "We must appeal to the traditional
and Sephardi communities by means of their representative on
the slate, Rabbi Turgeman. New groups of voters have joined
the movement's efforts in this election, among them voters
from Yehuda and Shomron and other communities who identify
with our messages regarding Shabbos, the drafting of yeshiva
students and the battle against the inclusion of the Reform
in the religious councils. We must invest maximal efforts in
these voters."
Rabbi Meir Porush concluded the discussion with the decision
to establish regional and local headquarters throughout the
country, and to allocate the necessary funds for this
purpose. In addition to the abovementioned speakers, the
meeting was attended by Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz, Rabbi Tzvi
Baumel, Rabbi Yerachmiel Boyer, Rabbi Mordechai Karelitz,
Rabbi Yaakov Worshavinski, Rabbi Moshe Frank, Rabbi Yehuda
Gelber, Rabbi Yaakov Gutterman, Rabbi Chaim Walder, Rabbi
Yisroel Minkah, Rabbi Yehuda Rodich, Rabbi Moshe Shiffman,
Rabbi Meir Landman, Rabbi Yekusiel Zilbershlag, Rabbi Yaakov
Ginzberg, Rabbi Yechiel Turgeman and Rabbi Shlomo
Videslavski.
