Shas Reacts Facing the Unthinkable

In the entire history of the state of Israel, Shas has been included as part of the ruling coalition ever since its inception going into elections for the eleventh Knesset without concern for the political alignment, be it right, left, Zionist or any other conceivable alignment except for the sixteenth Knesset under Prime Minister Sharon. This has made the leadership of the Shas Party begin to expect that they would be included in every government going forward as they have proven to be loyal members of coalitions led by Labor or Likud and anyone inbetween. As such, the Shas leadership now has to deal with not being included in the next ruling coalition for only the second time since their inception and they are definitely not pleased with this situation. This begs the question of whether or not any party can rightfully view themselves as indispensable to any ruling coalition and what leads the membership of Shas to have such beliefs.

 

It is actually understandable why Shas has been able to join governing coalitions without regard to most of the political considerations which affect other parties. Shas is only beholden to the Sephardic Haredi population and as such has a very narrow definition of concerns. With such a specific and narrowly defined membership, Shas can be accommodated in any governing coalition without sacrificing any of the more secular principles which often go into the formation of a coalition. Shas would appear to favor more religious Jewish values which are also considered to be at least in part the basics for Likud, Labor and most of the other Israeli Jewish political parties and as such pose no difficulties for the inclusion of Shas in a government. Simply all the major party forming a coalition need implement to have Shas as a member party is to grant them the demands for Torah worship funding including stipends for their adult students, especially those with families, so they may study full time and not need to hold employment and also give those students of Torah deferment from military or public service requirements. This had not been a problem as it had been established through the Tal Law. That came crashing down when Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch annulled the Tal Law as a parting gift when she stepped down from her position. The Tal Law was in need of replacement as the Haredi portion of the Israeli society has grown to the point where it is becoming unfeasible to continue to carry them on the backs of the rest of the country and excuse them from any responsibility solely so they are free to study Torah and only study Torah. The transition had already shown the early signs of stirrings and would have been accomplished, albeit slowly, but it was being addressed. By annulling the Tal Law the government was faced with a pressing situation which more resembled a crisis than having to address a gradual change altering perceptions over time. This made Shas the political hot potato of this election cycle and was further exacerbated by Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party making the immediate enlistment and end of deferrals for almost all Torah students which placed them totally at odds with Shas. This led to a predicament where only one of the two political parties would be able to join the ruling coalition if either were to be included. As Lapid reached an agreement with Naftali Bennett of the Jewish Home Party that they would join their Knesset seats together and join a coalition or the opposition as one party. This left Prime Minister Netanyahu with a choice, either include both Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party and Naftali Bennett’s Jewish Home Party or allow Shas to join his coalition. Apparently Shas will end up on the losing end of such a choice.

 

The resulting anger and recriminations which have emanated from the Shas membership and leadership both during the campaign and the ensuing coalition negotiations has been, shall we say, less than cordial or polite. Their vindictive rhetoric towards Yair Lapid and his party’s secular core which demanded equal sharing of the burden was predictable but their venomous outpourings at Naftali Bennett did come as a surprise to some, especially members of the Jewish Home Party. It will remain to be seen if the uncomely actions and accusations from some Shas members, particularly their newly returned leader, Aryeh Deri, have shocked many and left a rather putrid aroma over the whole coalition building scene. Their demands and appearance of feeling owed a position in the next government would affect adversely any regular party in upcoming elections. Not so Shas as their support comes from a close knit community which is obliged by their Rabbis to vote for Shas and without considerations of anything other than supporting their community at the expense of all else. This is part of why they are immune to normal influences that might cripple other parties and why they appear to garner the same portion of Knesset seats election after election. It will remain to be seen if the discipline to keep the members of Shas dependent upon their party once their insular community is no longer supported separate from the rest of Israeli society. Once they are no longer permitted universal deferment from IDF or public service it is possible that their world and societal views may change and outside influences may forever alter their previously closed society.

 

There is one item that also must be addressed if one is to be fair to the Haredi community. They have not exactly been accepted with open arms by those outside their community. Where there may be some credibility to the excuse that the Haredi have not exactly made enormous efforts to be accepted by the outside society, those outside of the Haredi community share at least an equal amount of blame for not making the Haredi accepted or make efforts to make the outside world accessible for the strictly religious. The lack of understanding has been shared by both sides of this debate and any solution is going to require sacrifices and efforts by both communities. Where the Haredi community has been portrayed by the secular media and secular society as a bunch of freaks living in a backwards and exclusive community, there has not exactly been any real efforts made to make the secular society accessible to the Haredi or to be sensitive to their culture and societal rules and standards. Much of the public discussion has been of a nature to criticize the Haredi with little effort put forth towards understanding and acceptance. The Haredi have just as much right to live according to traditional rules as the secular society has to ignore those very same rules which their ancestors no more than a few short generations ago lived by. That is the one small fact that many in the secular community ignore that they are not that far removed from the exact same societal structures and strict rules of the Haredi in their own families. Where it is true that the Haredi are going to need to join Israeli society and start to pull their fair share of the burden, it is also going to be necessary that the secular make adjustment which allows the Haredi to share the burden while not forcing them to abandon their principles and traditions. It is a two way street and neither side is going to be able to demand of the other that they forfeit their way of life and the lifestyle to which they are accustomed. If both are to share the burden, then both will also be burdened with making Israel a place which respects and accommodates both in equal amounts. The extent to which such accommodations and adjustments are made will be the measure to the tolerance and respect both societies are able to grant the other. The one truth is that the future of Israel is dependent upon a shared effort and interest in working together instead of competing for prevalence.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Time Has Come for Israel to Change the Discussion

The time has come for Israel to make a declaration which will alter for all time the debate over the formation of any Palestinian state. Quoting the rights provided the Zionists, and thusly Israel, to make claim under the promises contained in the Churchill White Papers, the Balfour Declaration, the League of Nations dispositions under the Mandate system, and confirmed by Article 80 of the United Nations Charter, Israel is exercising their rightful claim to all the lands west of the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Israelis willing to make a one-time offer of a concession releasing their proper claim to Area A and negotiate final borders which will come to exist within points in Area B. This offer will be open for six months from the date of this offer after which Israel, should the Palestinian leadership refuse to negotiate, will also annex all of Area B and leave Area A to be utilized for a Palestinian State along with the Gaza Strip to be formed at the Palestinian convenience. Whatever the borders are defined on said date six months from today will denote the defined borders for the State of Israel and will be defended as such. Any Palestinian living within these areas annexed into the state of Israel will be allowed to apply and after completing the required steps be allowed to become citizens with full rights as Israelis.

I realize that there will be an immediate outcry from the rest of the world and Israel very well might face sanctions imposed by some nations. Does any Israeli honestly believe in their hearts that such will not eventually become the reality at some point when the majority of the world’s countries call for replacing Israel with a Palestinian state? Mahmoud Abbas, the world’s imposed on Israel as a partner for peace, has made it clear that he and the Palestinian leadership, be it Hamas, Fatah, the PLO, the Palestinian Authority or whomever, will never surrender their right to use force to liberate all of Palestine from north to south and from the river to the sea, every square millimeter without surrendering a single square inch. There is no amount of land short of all the lands which will satisfy the Palestinians and those who support them in their pogrom to remove the Jewish existence within their holy Muslim lands. We have seen where the world stands when the United Nations overwhelmingly granted the Palestinians their coveted statehood. The near unanimity with which the world voted to remove Israel from possessing any position in the debate over Palestinian statehood should be heeded as the threat that it truly was. That was the shot across the bow warning Israel that the world is fully willing to give away all of Israel if that is what the Palestinian demand with future claims. The only path which will allow Israel to continue going forward to remain a nation among the nations is if Israel takes the initiative and defines unilaterally these are our borders and all who would cross these borders or attempt to take our lands will be met with the full determination of the state of Israel defending its rightful borders. Once Israel has made such a proclamation, then the world can begin to adjust and accept that reality as long as Israel makes their claim from a position of unity and honest determination standing strong and united.

It may come to pass that it will be necessary to limit those NGOs which are predominantly reliant on foreign funding from operating freely in the immediate aftermath of such a declaration. There is one easy way that this can legally be performed even in a democracy with freedom of speech. The Knesset would need to pass legislation directing the Supreme Court to forbid the funding to enter Israel from any country which imposed any form of boycott, divestment or sanction or other deleterious reaction to Israel’s legal application of promises given them by the world bodies in good faith and completely backed by the Geneva Accords rules of annexation of lands gained during a defensive war. As the Sage Rabbi Hillel famously stated, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? And, if not now, when?”

Israel waiting for the world to realize the genocidal intentions of the Palestinian leadership and the Muslim world’s use of the Palestinians as the method by which they will be allowed to eradicate Israel is a foolish and perilous game that leads to only one end, the end of Israel and the Jewish People. The world will not intervene as all too many in the world support this very aim and enthusiastically cheer for its fruition. The sooner that Israel and Israelis realize and grasp the truth that our friends are few and far between, at least as far as friends who would be willing to stand with Israel and defend her from those intending evil and destruction, then the sooner Israel will enable their defense by placing a line in the sand and determinedly stating here is where we stop and will refuse to back from these lines. The sooner that Israel declares the borders, beyond which they will refuse to shrink, the larger the land of Israel will be. And until Israel declares such borders, she will remain vulnerable and will continue to be pushed into smaller and smaller land until there is none. After the Six Day War in June of 1967 the world would have accepted Israel retaining the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip, Judea, Samaria, and the Sinai Peninsula as they all recognized that Israel was defending herself from overt aggressions by all her neighboring countries and beyond. When Israel annexed all of Jerusalem there was no outcry and it was not controversial. Now Israel is being demanded to return to the pre-war borders surrendering half of Jerusalem including every single holy site within the Old City, the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. What will tomorrow bring? Are Israelis and their leaders willing to continue to talk and surrender to demands from those who cannot be mollified? What will the reaction be when the United Nations decides that Israel must return to the original planned divisions proffered on November 29, 1947? That will be the next claim by the Muslims and their steel glove perched on Israeli borders, the Palestinians. And the world will cheer and proclaim that it is only fair that this be granted. Israel cannot wait or rely on the world’s kindness as the world has no kindness for Israel and the hatreds are only growing. Make the stand now as waiting means death and the end of our dreams.

Beyond the Cusp

Stubbornness Contest Between Shas and Yesh Atid

Prime Minister Netanyahu is facing difficulty in forming the large coalition which includes as broad a span of political views as possible such that the result will not be dependent on any single party other than Likud-Beytenu. The problem he has struck is the contest between Shas, the Hasidic Party and Yesh Atid headed by Yair Lapid who refuses to compromise on any of the party platform issues he and his list had campaigned upon. One issue which has become a hot button issue finds the religious parties including Shas in direct conflict with Lapid’s Yesh Atid stand that only the top four-hundred Torah students be allowed a deferment from IDF or National Service a part of the share the burden solution. Shas, needless to point out, wishes for an equal or at least very similar style deferment law as the Tal Law which was ruled to be against the constitution by the Supreme Court in a decision made in the final days under Chief Justice Dorit Beinisch, a strange concept as Israel has no constitution. Neither side wishes to budge on this issue and Lapid, who is entering the Knesset for the first time as are all the people on his list, will likely be introduced to the concept that if you demand everything you will often end up not in the coalition and you get nothing, such is the way of parliamentary governance. My feelings are that Yair Lapid knows full well that at some point he will need to give in order to get but is going to play hard and stiff for as long as it serves to further his ideals and ideas and bend only at the last moment. Shas will not bend and will need to be bludgeoned into accepting any form of compromise but that is their way and is expected.

Yair Lapid might be playing a dangerous game believing that Netanyahu cannot permit him and his nineteen Knesset seats to join Shelly Yachimovich and the Labor Party in the opposition. He had best do the math and realize that Netanyahu can form a sixty-one seat coalition simply by including the two purely religious parties, Shas and Yahadut HaTorah with eleven and seven seats respectively along with HaBayit HaYehudi which has twelve seats. Add in the thirty-one seats of Netanyahu’s Likud-Beytenu Party reaches the sixty-one seats out of the Knesset’s one-hundred-twenty total seats, the minimum necessary for a majority to form a coalition. Netanyahu has even spoken with Tzipi Livni and Shelly Yachimovich and even the leader of Meretz, Zahava Gal-On, even though the likelihood of their parties joining the coalition are minimal, as the Prime Minister had stated he wishes to form as broad a governing coalition as possible, even a unity government, though that is next to impossible. All told, the forming of the coming coalition very well may prove to be more interesting than the usual cut and dry same old expected coalition of traditional allies. With some of the difficulties which may come to a head and have to be faced by the coming government, a large and stable coalition that is not dependent on any one party is something that is definitely desirable. I do not envy the members of this Knesset, especially having a fairly good idea of what challenges are coming down the rails like an out of control train.

Back to the tug-of-war between the Hasidic Parties and Lapid’s fairly secular party over exemptions may be the most evident battle ongoing but is not the only and may prove not to even be the most critical or vitally important debate that forming the coalition will need to address. Another of Lapid Party’s concerns that I feel is likely even more important concerns the economy and the price of living. One of the major segments of the economy which needs the magic touch of Netanyahu’s economic miracle workers is housing prices and rents. During the last Knesset Netanyahu took aim at the cell phone monopolies and he opened up that market to greater competition and the prices dropped like an anchor. Hopefully Netanyahu will be able to work similar miracles with housing and rental prices, then taking aim at food prices, especially dairy and the other areas where the number of vendors is quite limited. What makes this area even more important is that much could be gained in relieving some of the upward pressures on food prices that could be attained through annexing at a minimum Area C of Judea and Samaria, the area already under total Israeli rule and control. The additional farm lands and expanded area would serve as a stimulus to the Israeli economy, an economy that is already one of the most robust of the Industrialized West. Another possible benefit from such a move would be to place some pressure on the Palestinian leadership which might be sufficient a shock to bring Abbas to the negotiation table and remove from United States President Obama’s list of misconceptions about Israel, namely that it is Netanyahu who refuses to negotiate and Abbas the willing partner. In the meantime, let’s just relax and watch the barter and other fun that goes with making a coalition. I wonder if there were a way of making coalition forming the national sport of Israel after all, they do it far, far too often.

Beyond the Cusp