Education Minister Shai Piron
Education Minister Shai PironFlash 90

MKs Aliza Lavie, Shai Piron, and Elazar Stern met with National Religious residents of Petah Tikva Wednesday night to discuss pressing election issues. 

Over one hundred people crowded into a pub, where the meeting was held, talking animatedly with Yesh Atid's religious Zionist representatives. 

Toward the end of the event Rabbi Shai Piron outlined his view of the political distribution of religious Zionists. 

"In recent years, we [religious Zionists] have gone in three directions...One faction of religious Zionism is trying to disconnect from Zionism, another faction is trying to take control of Israeli society, and the third faction, which we belong to, would like to integrate into Israel society, and lead through a sense of mission, striving for a true partnership between all sectors."

"For those in the integration faction, there is a proper and respected place in Yesh Atid," Piron stressed. 

The former Education Minister also addressed rumors that the centrist party will stand behind the Left come election day, stating that the party is not "rejecting anyone."

"On March 18, you'll get up in the morning and you'll see who's the biggest part. If the gap is 4-5 mandates - the matter is closed. But if the gap is smaller- there'll be discussion of blocs. We'll see what the options are. We're not in the politics of boycotts," he stressed.  

Stern and Lavie, meanwhile, addressed questions about the separation of church and state and the chief Rabbinate.

"Separating church and state is impossible," Lavie said. "What is possible and necessary is to separate religious politics from the state. In many ways we have to go back to the model of communities, also on the subject of conversion." 

"We need to break the monopoly of religious bureaucracy, and we are very late, and it is irresponsible not to deal with these complicated issues. But that's why we came into politics," Lavie added. 

According to Stern, the process of electing Chief Rabbis has become completely corrupt.

"Religious Zionist rabbis dream and think that Rav Kook is sitting in the chief Rabbinate, and they do not understand that the election process is one of the most dirty political processes" in all of Israel," he said. 

Participants then asked Piron to clarify Yesh Atid's political view on the issue of a Palestinian State, to which he responded that party members do not discuss the issue as part of their campaigning, mainly because it is irrelevant. 

"Is it true that the question of the Palestinian state hangs now on all ethical, spiritual, and ideological discourse about the State of Israel? Moreover, Yair Lapid said he opposes unilateral withdrawal. All that's left new is a peace agreement, and I saw to you now with knowledge - that's not on the agenda."