Clarity Won: Fallout from Israel's 2015 Elections

Guest post by RaP

Anyone remotely familiar with Shidduchim and dating in general knows that the suitor and the one being pursued have different roles. Each must act CLEARLY in order to connect and succeed with their chosen objective. One cannot be all things to all men and to all women. Therefore it is important that a Yeshiva Bochur, as an example, be very clear about who he is and what he wishes any potential spouse to know about him in order that he be chosen over anyone else (aside from the common basic human attractions). Thus, the prospective Choson ("groom") cannot portray himself SIMULTANEOUSLY as all of a potential full-time Kollel learner, plus college student, plus working professional all at once. You are either committed to full-time learning or not. Or you are seriously taking college course to get a profession no matter what, or your heart and mind are set on working full time for a living and nothing will deter you because that is who you are and what you sincerely want to do. Just make up you mind, and be clear about who you are and what you want people to know about you! To ignore this means that few will know who you are and what you stand for and so you will lose. This is so true for politics as well, as any politician must decide what his main message is, and who his target audience and potential supporters are and how that can be conveyed with absolute CLARITY to get the vote and be elected and win!

Based on that preamble, the results of the latest Israeli election make perfect sense. Here are the winners and losers, in no particular order:

Winners:

Netanyahu, who long ago figured out that he must run against the most unpopular man among most Israeli Jews...no not any rabbis silly, it's Obama! By concentrating his SPOKEN and UNSPOKEN message on the dangers posed by Obama's pro-leftist preferences, and BHO's tolerance of Islamic shenanigans, capped by a masterful speech to the US Congress a few days before the elections, Netanyahu was able to attract that right-wing Israeli JEWISH majority that fears Obama more than Netanyahu's failings.

Israeli Arabs, who with the help of foreign politically savvy operatives and money, were able to unite in a big way even though they are split among themselves ranging from secular Communists to Islamic Fundamentalist, they showed that one thing unites them more than anything else: Fear and loathing of their Jewish Israeli compatriots. Count on them being major obstructionists in the next Knesset.

Israeli Sefardim, supported the Charedi SHAS and the new secular Kulanu party to become important players in determining the new governing coalition, after being locked out for two years.

Charedim, both the Ashkenazi-dominated UTJ and the Sefardi dominated SHAS proved yet again that "Toirah Iz Di Beste Sechoirah"! That sticking to a clear pure message of commitment to Gedolim, Rebbes and Roshei Yeshiva, no matter who they are, is the safest and smartest policy for Charedi Jews. Notch up great victories for the three Moatzos, the Councils of Torah Sages, that guide Agudas Yisroel, Degel HaTorah, and SHAS whose position is now very strong and their voices will be heard in the new government. The Israeli Charedi world in general will now breath a collective sigh of relief as anti-Semitic and anti-Torah laws designed to hurt them will now be rolled back and struck off the books. They will also gain access to political and economic rewards, long overdue, since they make invaluable contributions to the Jewish people in Israel in many spheres, obviously in being the Bnai Torah valued most by HKB"H for their Torah Umitzvos!

Aryeh Deri, for one of the biggest political comebacks in modern Israeli history. But he will have to produce big-time for all the faith that was placed in his now proven political abilities. He needs to realize, like all politicians, that this is not about him, he represents and leads the Sefardi Charedi Tzibbur in the Knesset and must tread with great caution to avoid the pitfalls of the political mistakes of the past. Now he must produce and prove himself.

Israel's neighboring Arab countries, who won a stable partner and strong ally to oppose Iranian hegemony and out of control Islamic terrorists. They should make the most of this to do their own house-cleaning, if they can in between all the civil wars and vendettas they are engaged in right now.

US Republicans whose gamble to invite and support Netanyahu has paid off and who now have a good chance of capturing the big prize of the White House in 2016. Seems Israel's March 2015 elections is the "real first 'primary' election" in the race for the US Presidency to be decided in November 2106.

Losers:

This list is longer, partly because of the new Israeli law that raised the threshold for entry into the Knesset.

Labor and its all-around rogue's gallery of Socialists, Bolsheviks, Reformers, and Anarchists. They can now keep the new oversized Arab super-party company on the official opposition side and show their true colors as they find common cause with the goals of the Israeli Arabs whom they love more than their fellow right-wing and any Jews of a religious nature. They are a political basket case and no one will miss them.

Yair Lapid, like most "protest parties" of the past are headed for political oblivion. Lapid should go back to the world of Israeli television and carry on being a celebrity there because he has proven he knows nothing about governing, government and how to make himself useful to Israeli society beyond cursing Charedim as the source of all his problems. He needs to get a life soon.

Ditto for Dov Lipman who did not even make it on his ultra-secular anti-Charedi Yesh Atid party's candidates. He too will now have to get a life and stop contriving excuses as to what he wants out of life now that he is a man without a party or a country.

Naftali Bennett, the real disappointment to the Orthodox world by the way two years ago he teamed up with Lapid and engineered the last anti-Charedi regime that came crashing done none too soon. Even his own prior supporters left him in droves to the left and to the right because he has tried to be all things to all men. His gambit to enlist a secular Israel soccer hero to make his so-called "Bayit Yehudi" party just showed him up as someone lacking in a true understanding and commitment to serious Torah Judaism. He is a smart and wealthy man who speaks English with American parents. He should seriously think about spending quality time in one of the major BT yeshivas in Israel that cater to people like him. A stint in Ohr Somayach or Machon Shlomo would do him wonders. Oh yes, and he should take his wife and children to some serious Torah seminars run by Arachim or Hidabroot that would improve their Hashkofa and their appreciation for REAL Yiddishkeit.

Eli Yishai made a huge mistake by teaming up with Kahanists on one flank and drop-outs from Bayit Yehudi on the other. A truly mixed up mixed message lacking any clarity whatsoever so that his Torah-true persona backed by Rav Meir Mazuz could not shine through. They were also political amateurs compared to those Machiavellians opposing them and they paid the price. Perhaps what Yishai should have done is just stick with his rabbi and sent out one clear message as to who they are. Instead what happened was that his Yachad party was portrayed as an extremist right-wing party when in fact Yishai is a relatively moderate and centrist politician. Better luck next time and stick to one main clear message in the future.

Obama, Kerry, Hillary Clinton, US Democrats, Iran, Europe, foreign NGOs, the PLO & Hamas & Hezbolla whose nefarious plans and hostility to Jews' and Israelis' real interests have now been dealt a serious set-back and hopefully in some ways overturned. This is in the spirit of Purim and the month of Adar we are still in when Jews celebrate the turnaround of Haman's & Achashveiros's ploys and deceits.

Liberman and his "Yisrael Beiteinu" that is now on the way to becoming an anachronism and political fossil because this party of former Russian émigrés has served its purpose. Now that Russian Israelis have integrated into the secular Israeli mainstream they no longer need a special interests party that has no real direction. The problem of the over 300,000 NON-Halachic Russian "Jews" in Israel is the REAL problem with this group that has still not been solved and is at the heart of the ongoing conversion wars and standards in Israel that may now result in stronger rulings and laws against these gentiles masquerading as "Jews" with Charedim back in positions of influence. Stay tuned.

May the Jewish People go from strength to strength, from the salvations of Adar to the even greater salvations of Nissan! Amen!