Free Republic

Knesset rejects 3 no-confidence votes The Knesset rejected by wide majority three no-confidence votes issued by opposition parties. (Ilan Marciano) Peres blames Shinui for power of religious party Vice Premier Shimon Peres on Monday blamed the Shinui party for the power the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party has to demand changes in the state budget. "If Shinui would vote in favor of the budget, United Torah Judaism would not have bargaining power," Peres said. (Attila Somfalvi)(02.28.05, 15:27)

Jan. 11, 2005 18:32 | Updated Jan. 11, 2005 22:18 UTJ splits over rabbinical spat By MATI WAGNER A dispute over rabbinic allegiances tore apart on Tuesday Lithuanian Degel HaTorah and hassidic Agudat Yisrael, the two parties making up United Torah Judaism (UTJ). The preeminent halachic authority of the Lithuanian haredi community, Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, ordered the Degel HaTorah Mks, Moshe Gafni and Rabbi Avraham Ravitz to split themselves from the three Agudah Yisrael Mks. Gafni and Ravitz placed the blame for the split squarely on the shoulders of MK Ya'acov Litzman of the hassidic Agudat Yisrael, who accepted...

Jan. 5, 2005 17:43 | Updated Jan. 5, 2005 18:51 Rabbi Elyashiv gives UTJ green light to join coalition By GIL HOFFMAN United Torah Judaism spiritual mentor Rabbi Shalom Yosef Elyashiv on Wednesday bestowed his approval for the haredi party to join the coalition, allowing a Likud-Labor-UTJ government to be formed, UTJ MK Avraham Ravitz said. The Ultra-Orthodox party's inclusion into the coalition is conditional however on a three-month "wait-and-see" approach relating to the Likud negotiating team's promise to provide funding to haredi educational institutions. UTJ MKs Avraham Ravitz and Moshe Gafni will not fill any positions in the government...