09 April 2019

It's Hard to Resist the Hype

4 Nisan 5779

Constant text messages arriving via my phone, bombardment of the media, discussions with family and friends, we've reached a saturation point with this 2019 Israeli election.  Good thing it ends tonight at 10 pm. By then all decisions will be locked in.

It's interesting that the Hebrew root word for elections is בחירה - "choice." Unfortunately, I do not find any of the current choices acceptable. After Yachad, which ticked all the boxes for me, was eliminated, all that was left was Rabbi Mazuz's instruction to support UTJ.  I wanted to and I was even still thinking about this morning, but I just can't get past this part of their platform...
UTJ has said that it is willing to join coalition governments that are dedicated to engaging the Palestinians in peace negotiations and was a member of the coalition government that carried out the disengagement from the Gaza Strip. (Source)
Even for all the good UTJ stands for, I can't get past this. Even though I know and understand that ultimately Hashem determines everything, it's still hard to resist all the hype and not participate.  If there was anyone at all that I could support in good conscience, but there just isn't.  

Waiting and anticipating and really looking forward to Mashiach's arrival - by Pesach?

6 comments:

  1. Yep!

    Most people I speak with are talking about voting for the least of all of the evils. I wrote the following to my diverse group if friends and acquaintances. I would've added what you write about UTJ, but it wasn't necessary:

    Tomorrow, as you know, is Israel's Parliamentary Elections. There is no one to vote for on the Right or for that matter on the Left.

    This status update, as it were, is meant for all of you across the religious and political spectrum.

    Bennett (New Right) apparently isn't bothered by torturing Jewish youth.

    Gantz (Blue and White w/Lapid) believes that a moral army protects its enemy captives at the risk of its own soldiers.

    Zamberg (Meretz) believes in LGBT rights, but refuses to criticize the PA's record on them.

    Feiglin (Zehut) the Nat'l-Libertarian leaning candidate who called Zamberg out on her hypocrisy cannot explain how Torah and Libertarianism can go together 100%.

    "Right wing" Rav Rafi Peretz IMO didn't fight enough for his own home in Gaza (2005), so how we expect him to fight for those of others? Smotrich believes that partial annexations are victories. , and AFAIK is [still?] too chummy with the Evangelical Xians who want to live here permanently.

    Meanwhile, Bibi will get in again and do whatever outsiders want, ignoring his constituents.

    Yet another distraction for the masses.

    But, hey at least we get the day off and get to fight crowds at the malls and at the beaches!

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    Replies
    1. "But, hey at least we get the day off and get to fight crowds at the malls and at the beaches!"
      The Ga’aved of the Aida Hachareidis, Rav Yitzchok Tuvia Weiss, spoke at an asifa which took place in Yerushalayim against the upcoming Israeli elections and offered a brocha to those who refrained from taking part in the elections. http://matzav.com/gaavad-of-the-eidah-hacharedis-gives-a-brocha-to-those-who-refrain-from-voting/
      Chana

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    2. Thanks to both of you for the valuable information.

      Delete
  2. They are all Erev of Rav,some are better and some arevworse, so that you can choose. The parsha Tazriya gives instraction to the kohen how to check the tsarat.if the place of tzarat there is a clean piece of skin and the kohen might think that it is not tzarat, then the Torah says that just there under this piece of skin sits tsarat. Once you lift it up it's there worse than on the surface. Therefore, laws of zsarat tell us to stay away from democracy. When you touch unclean you become unclean.

    all haredym parties that look like a clean area on the tzarat lesion on the skin are more contamideted with tzarat then those who are on the surface. They (the lefties and heloni) at least do not hide who they are.
    Democracy is דמ ו קרט יה
    service to other gods, all that does not go with the Torah is Avoda Zara
    Chana

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  3. I wouldn't be able to muster up enough respect to vote for UTJ, unless they wake up, and because they are a strong party, unite with all 'religious' parties. The chareidi parties remind me of the ten spies who were happy in the midbar. As long as there are G-D fearing religious parties which make them go to the 'right', they must be unified in their love of Torah, Am Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael (even if their hashkafot might differ a little), this would bring the country together because most real Jews do think 'right'. And, of course, this would hasten the Geulah in a blink of an eye. Any which way, H' is in control, always!

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