גאנץ מדינת ישראל הענגט א ווארט פון אלישב

UTJ rabbis still undecided on joining gov't



Sources close to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon say they are unable to guess how the spiritual mentor of United Torah Judaism, Rabbi Yosef Elyahsiv, will decide with regard to the ultra-Orthodox party joining the coalition.




Rabbis from Gush Katif and yeshivas throughout the country that are working together with an ultra-Orthodox forum established by the right have been meeting over the past few weeks with Rabbi Elyashiv, and other rabbis whom UTJ consults, in an effort to convince the UTJ's spiritual leaders to oppose joining the coalition.

The 13 Likud "rebels" sent a letter recently to the UTJ stating that Sharon does not have a majority for his coalition since they plan to vote against the new government.

As part of the right-wing pressure on UTJ, a delegation of women from Gush Katif met with Rabbi Elyashiv. After listening to their arguments at length, he asked them how UTJ staying out of the coalition would help, if, in any event, the decision on disengagement had already been made and was "rolling."

Rabbi Elyashiv told the Gush Katif residents that he had learned from reports received from UTJ Knesset members that there was no chance of stopping the disengagement and therefore, "what is the point of us staying in the opposition?"

The women told the rabbi that the "battle" had not yet been decided. They told him about the pledge made by the Likud rebels to vote against the government, and that the cabinet and the Knesset had not yet formally decided on the actual evacuation of settlements.

Rabbi Elyashiv told the Gush Katif women that if this was the case, he would reconsider the question of UTJ joining the coalition. UTJ sources say they expect Rabbi Elyashiv to deliver his decision Tuesday, after consulting with 15 members of the Council of Torah Sages.

UTJ joining the coalition would allow Sharon to present a new cabinet, while it is believed the alternative may lead to elections. However, sources close to Sharon said elections were not inevitable, and while a UTJ refusal to join the coalition was problematic, Shas was also an option for coalition membership.

They also said they were working to break down the opposition of the 13 Likud disengagement opponents, eight of whom said they would not vote against the government since they knew such a vote would lead to new elections, with no guarantee that they would be re-elected.

Sharon and other ministers Monday blamed disengagement opponent MK Uzi Landau of deliberately attempting to bring down the government.

On Sunday night, a group from Gush Katif met with Rabbi Nissim Karlitz, head of the Hazon Ish Kollel, and with Rabbi Kaniavsky and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, all members of the UTJ's council of rabbinic sages. This group also told the rabbis that UTJ's joining the coalition "would assist in uprooting the world of Torah that exists in Gush Katif."

They detailed the religious activity in the settlements, including Torah classes, Talmud Torahs and synagogues. They also extensively described the dangers they envisaged for all Israelis if Gush Katif was evacuated, especially to residents of the south.

UTJ denied reports Monday that Rabbi Elyashiv was considering a compromise under which the faction would join the coalition for a limited time.

Rabbi Shmuel Tal (the brother of former MK Nahum Langenthal), head of the Torat Hahayyim Yeshiva in Neveh Dekalim, met with his spiritual mentor, Rabbi Shmuel Averbach. Averbach, the son of the late Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Averbach, a major halakhic (Jewish law) authority, was initially viewed as a supporter of disengagement; in recent months, however, he has been convinced by opponents of the pullout plan to join their camp.

The right wing has also been in contact with the Ger rebbe, Rabbi Arie Alter.

Monday, the chairman of the National Religious Party Knesset faction, former minister Zevulun Orlev, said the NRP would be meeting with Shas, National Union, and the Likud "loyalists" to organize opposition to the disengagement. Orlev said the joint activity would generate momentum and strengthen public opposition to the pullout.