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19 Cheshvan 5765 - November 3, 2004 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
Rabbi Gafni to Right-Wing MKs: "Don't Preach to Us"
by Eliezer Rauchberger

"People are constantly asking me, `How can you be in favor of disengagement or abstain? How can such a thing be when Eretz Yisroel is at stake?' And I ask: `We are in an administration in which representatives of the settlers sat--HaIchud HaLeumi, the NRP and very large segments of the Likud consisting of very traditional people--in a single coalition with Shinui, which hoisted the banner of total revolt against Toras Yisroel, something that has never been done by any party in the Knesset. So how can you come and preach to us?" demanded MK Rabbi Moshe Gafni, of MKs representing the right and the settlers.

These harsh words were delivered during a recent plenum session on the disengagement plan. Rabbi Gafni engaged in a lengthy dispute with the representatives of the right and the settlers, taking them to task for participating in the Shinui- Sharon government and for not resigning following the severe harm done to Toras Yisroel, the Torah world and bnei Torah families, but only over the disengagement plan. Rabbi Gafni protested the right's misplaced priorities, saying Eretz Yisroel distorted their logic and blinded them so that they dedicated themselves to Eretz Yisroel at the expense of the entire Torah.

"Here, in the Knesset of Israel, you --the Prime Minister, HaIchud HaLeumi, Effi Eitam and Zevulun Orlev-- joined the party that takes away from us every claim on Eretz Yisroel for it says, `Im bechukosai teleichu . . . venosati sholom bo'oretz.' You come to preach to us on this question? You wanted the kind of coalition that would make the Jewish people unsustainable. Eretz Yisroel is a very important value in Judaism, but not the most important value. Who is preaching to us? Who? HaIchud HaLeumi? The NRP? Effi Eitam? Yitzchak Levy? The part of the Likud that really is made up of traditionalists?

" . . . Along comes a party to the Knesset with one thing to say: No to Toras Yisroel. The Likud joined them. HaIchud HaLeumi joined them. The NRP joined them. And today they are preaching to us? Parshas Hashavua? Eretz Yisroel?

"As far as I'm concerned of supreme importance and the foremost priority is for there to be an Am Yisroel. This is the foremost thing and the connection--both when we were in the Diaspora and today--between a Jew in China and a Jew in Poland and a Jew in Morocco and a Jew in Tunisia and a Jew in Canada is the platform of Am Yisroel whose language is, `Shema Yisroel Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echod'

"And this is the platform the coalition wanted to eliminate. And the settlers sat in it. They did not resign because of Toras Yisroel. They resigned because of Eretz Yisroel, which is secondary in importance. So I ask that you stop preaching to us."

Later Rabbi Gafni also addressed the general public saying, "The majority hasn't turned [to me to ask how we could vote in favor or abstain], the majority realizes what gedolei Yisroel say, we do. But there are those who contact us and ask, `How can you vote one way or the other?' And I am addressing these people in asking `Where were they when we stood here and cried up to the heavens when they sought to annihilate the Jewish people spiritually? Why didn't I receive faxes then? Why didn't I receive phone calls then? Why? Why, back then, did you not remove HaIchud HaLeumi from this coalition? Why wasn't the NRP removed? Why did Effi Eitam resign only when the disengagement plan began? Is there no Toras Yisroel, chas vecholiloh? Why did Orlev remain? Why did you in the Likud agree to this? Do you call yourself a party that represents the traditional public? Is everything permitted? So don't preach to us. Our path is clear."

 

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