Voting For Likud-Yisrael Beitenu Violates Torah Law, Haredi Rabbi Says

Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef, Shas founder and spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s most controversial son, has now issued a statement asserting that anyone who votes for the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list in those upcoming elections has transgressed an “iussur d’oraita,” a biblical commandment – in other words, the Likud voter will have sinned by transgressing biblical law, the most severe form of transgression of Jewish law there is.

 Tension between the Sefardi haredi Shas political party and the combined Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list is continuing to rise as next month’s national elections draws ever nearer.

Rabbi Ya’akov Yosef, Shas founder and spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s most controversial son, has now reportedly issued a statement asserting that anyone who votes for the Likud-Yisrael Beitenu list in those upcoming elections has transgressed an “iussur d’oraita,” a biblical commandment – in other words, the Likud voter will have sinned by transgressing biblical law, the most severe form of transgression of Jewish law there is.

During his weekly public class, Ya’akov Yosef reportedly explained that the transgression fell under the biblical transgression of lifnei iver lo titen michshol, you must not put a stumbling block before the blind.

“Likud runs the country, including the Ministry of Education,” Yosef explained, blaming Likud for the large number of children who do not know anything about Judaism, and equating their poor public school Jewish education with a stumbling block put before the blind.

Yosef also attacked HaBayit HaYehudi party leader Naftali Bennett for walking back statements he made encouraging soldiers to refuse orders to evacuate West Bank Jewish settlements.

Yosef – who is associated with hared right groups and with the hard right political arm of Chabad –  insisted that soldiers “must refuse such orders,” basing himself on a ruling by former Ashkenazi (Zionist Orthodox) Chief Rabbi Rabbi Avraham Kahane Shapira.

“Those soldiers who took part in removing Jews from Gush Katif [in Gaza] brought the missiles to Gush Dan [the suburbs of Tel Aviv],” Yosef reportedly said, adding that those soldiers will be obligated to give a full accounting for their actions in this world as well as in the World to Come.

“[Likud Party head Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu refuses to promise not to remove additional [West Bank Jewish] communities. It is most worrisome when he speaks against insubordination. Only a fool does not see Netanyahu plans to expel more Jews from their homes. He is now working to persuade people to support him and anyone voting Likud has a hand in his sin,” Yosef reportedly proclaimed.

After concluding his impassioned rant against Likud-Yisrael Beitenu, Yosef tried to stay within the bounds of Israel’s already elastic elections law by pointing out that even though he had just ranted and raved against Likud-Yisrael Beitenu, he wasn’t personally involved in politics and, Yosef added, I will not tell people which party to vote for.

 http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2012/12/voting-for-likud-yisrael-beitenu-violates-torah-law-haredi-rabbi-says-123.html