Rabbi Haim Druckman, one of the most influential religious-Zionist rabbinical leaders, has once again ruled out a coalition including the Religious Zionist Party that would be backed and supported by the Ra'am Islamist party.
His comments come following the public backing given by Rabbi Tzvi Tau, the spiritual leader of the anti-LGBT nationalist Noam Party which is a constituent part of Religious Zionist Party, to forming a minority government backed by Ra'am in a letter published Sunday night.
Druckman said “the government “should be based on Jews and not others,” adding “It is not others who should coronate our government” in reference to Ra'am or the other Arab parties, although added that the Religious Zionist Party seeks to help “all citizens of the state.”
Druckman was speaking following a meeting of several of the most senior religious-Zionist rabbis following Tau’s letter and reported pressure from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on them to agree to a minority government backed by Ra'am.
“It is the position of the rabbis as a result of the discussion we had is that we are sticking to the position not to use the Ra'am Party to establish a government, this has not changed, it would be a big mistake to bring in Ra'am."
Druckman’s comments and the decision of the rabbis would appear to put the final nail in the coffin in Netanyahu’s efforts to form a government with his current mandate, which ends tomorrow.
On Sunday night, Tau wrote that he would support the formation of a minority right-wing government backed externally by the Ra'am Islamist party.
The ultra-conservative rabbi said relying on the support of non-Jews for a coalition would be “a desecration of God’s name,” but that a government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be a sanctification of God’s name” that outweighed the desecration.
Tau, the president of the hardline Har Hamor religious-Zionist yeshiva, wrote in his letter that a government formed by the opposition bloc, which he termed “the radical, progressive Left” would annul the Nation-State Law, declare the State of Israel to be a state of all its citizens, instead of a Jewish state, harm the IDF, and advance post-modern ideas and separate religion and state.
“Relying on non-Jews to form a government… is a great desecration of God’s name,” wrote Tau.
“However, lending a hand to the destructive, abolishing the State of Israel as a Jewish state and all that this entails is a terrible desecration of God’s name.
“On the contrary, the success of setting up a government that will care for the good of Israel, that will take care of the holy things of Israel, is a greater sanctification of God’s name, and a sanctification of God’s is greater than a desecration of God’s name.”
The Religious Zionist Party swiftly issued a statement, however, panning the idea even before Druckman’s comments, and said its stance vigorously opposing a government backed by “the supporters of terrorism” – as it labels the Arab political parties – would not change.
“Anyone who thinks of forming such a government which would endanger the Jewish state will bear the mark of Cain until the end of his life,” said the party in a statement to the press.
“MK Bezalel Smotrich clarified the matter last night to the prime minister at their meeting and even made it clear to him that he will use all the tools at his disposal to ensure that such a government is not formed in any circumstance, and on either side of the political map.
“It is very unfortunate that Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has declared above all that he will in no way form a government with supporters of terrorism, is working tirelessly to form just such a government.”