Posted on 10/26/2004 4:23:41 PM PDT by Cinnamon Girl
A senior Israeli rabbi with influence among almost 150,000 American Jews ruled Tuesday that they should vote for President George W. Bush in the upcoming US elections, his office said.
Rabbi Shalom Yosef Elyashiv, responding to queries from Americans residing in Israel, has decided that Bush is better for Israel than his competitor, John Kerry, said an assistant to the rabbi, Haim Cohen.
Elyashiv's opinions are respected by large ultra-Orthodox communities, especially in Israel and the US. Elyashiv has strong influence over about half of all haredi Jews of European origin.
"Apparently George Bush loves Israel and thus we need to vote for him," the rabbi said Tuesday, according to Cohen.
The rabbi does not usually rule on political matters, especially those that don't directly concern Israel. But Elyashiv decided that the US is a "kingdom of grace," or great friend to Israel, and thus the elections there can directly influence the Jewish state, Cohen said.
About 140,000 American Orthodox Jews will probably abide by Elyashiv's decision, said Sam Heilman, an expert on American Jews at Queens College in New York. But Elyashiv is just confirming the theories of many analysts who believe most haredi Jews in the US vote Republican, Heilman said in a telephone interview from his office.
"What's extraordinary is that the rabbi is addressing non-Israelis in a sense," Heilman said. "This confirms that the Orthodox community, by and large, is supporting Bush more than Kerry."
But those Orthodox Jews who are already dead set on Kerry will not necessarily change their minds, despite Elyashiv's ruling, Heilman said.
The rabbi's decision will influence the vote of at least 10,000 American Jews currently residing in Israel, at least 700 of whom are from the battleground state of Florida, he said.
Most American Jews typically vote Democrat and, in 2000, the community voted 4-to-1 for Al Gore. But Kerry faces a tougher battle among Jews this election since Bush has built a reputation as a strong backer of Israel.
It is way more than 150,000 Jews who will feel influenced by this.
Attention frum Yidden: please print this up and post it in your shul and local restaurants. Get the word out!
I'm printing up flyers with this info to give people when I bring more lawn signs around the neighborhood.
Great idea.
W is the best friend Israel has had since Cyrus.
Great, but won't the vast majority of those 140,000 be voting for the President anyway?
Don't most Orthodox Jews live in NY?
In othor words,wasted votes.
I sent in my absentee ballot today.
The ORthodox were already voting for Bush.
there are a LOT of self-loathing ,Israel hating Jews on both coasts who will be voting for John Kerry....
Is it too late?
Coulda stated this a few weeks ago, I think.
You beat me by a few minutes. I have quite a few links on my version.
Question is, how many will listen/heed?
Rav Elyashiv is the biggest rabbi who can answer questions regarding Jewish law in the eastern/western European non-Sephardic, non-chassidic world. Does that help? ;)
Wow.
Very very nice.
BTTT
translate please
what the MSM will NOT tell you (surprise!!) is that the centerpiece of sKerry's Foreign Policy is that he WILL SACRIFICE ISRAEL to the rest of the world.
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