Opening of the UTJ Campaign: ‘Those Who Seek to Hurt Us Do Not Differentiate Between Sorts of Hats’

United Torah Judaism opened Wednesday the election campaign for the joint list of Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah at the Aristocrat Hall in Bnei Brak. In their speeches, the MKs set the goals for the current election system and their terms and conditions for joining the next government.

MK Rabbi Yisrael Eichler noted the saga before the submitting of the joint list. “Unlike other parties, we and our electors are only messengers of Gedolei Yisrael. This is our strength and that is our pride. From there we derive the ability to withstand the war against those who seek our souls.

“The refreshing innovation in the upcoming elections is the discussion of an increase in teachers’ fees and the reduction of tuition fees in Talmudei Torah. For too many years the issue was on the sidelines because of other burning and important matters. Now, at the behest of all Gedolei Yisrael, we have all signed a commitment to stop the injustice against chareidi education.”

He explained: “Teachers in Tel Aviv have become weaker and weaker over the years. They do not have the strength to teach 30 children in a class. The parents also collapsed from the high tuition fees. Now we will carry out the correction that we all promised to Israel’s elite and the electorate and increase the education budget. No one in the Treasury will be able to say that there is no money, because we know that when they want, they have NIS 50 billion for all kinds of things, as we saw.

“Baruch Hashem, by the order of our Gedolim, we were able to prevent a split and go to the elections jointly with Agudas Yisrael and Degel HaTorah. About two years ago, we received eight seats. We are sure that the voters will understand, following the difficult decrees of the last year, that they must go out and vote, and mobilize with all their might to get others to vote as well. And, b’ezras Hashem, we will succeed in acting for our people.”

MK Rabbi Yaakov Asher also said on this issue, “Those who seek our help do not differentiate between a bent-down hat and a round hat, they are focused on all of us.

“Liberman of the wheelbarrows does not distinguish between suit colors. We are one unit, and this obligates us all. The tasks are enormous and chalilah if someone decides to harm the chareidi power in the Knesset.”

MK Rabbi Uri Maklev said, “We have great potential, we can reach eight seats. Already today we are close to eight seats, and especially when the percentage of the votes will not be so high because of the Arab parties, with a little effort we can also get the eighth seat. It is good for us when there will be four members of the Knesset both for Degel HaTorah and Agudas Yisrael, and it will also strengthen the entire bloc and bring about a stable right-wing government.”