Rabbi Haim Druckman
Rabbi Haim DruckmanYoni Kempinski

The unification of the right-wing parties has been both praised and criticized in religious Zionist circles. Many argued that they would not be able to vote for a party that championed the legacy of Rabbi Kahane.

Arutz Sheva spoke to Bnei Akiva yeshivas head Rabbi Chaim Druckman, who addressed the arguments including Rabbi Benny Lau's comparison of the legacy of Rabbi Kahane to the Nuremberg Laws.

Rabbi Druckman began his speech with praise for the unification of the right-wing parties: "The main thing is that Jewish Home did a great thing to prevent the loss of about 100,000 votes. We were already in this movie during Shamir's time, I won't mention the names of those who are already in the World of Truth. They came out on separate lists, and as a result many votes were lost and we got the terrible Oslo agreement that killed Jews, so we have to fall into this trap again?"

In his remarks, Rabbi Druckman rejected attempts by religious Zionist elements to view the connection with Otzma Yehudit as an immoral move because of the differences between the parties: "The most moral thing is to save Jews and keep them alive and to ensure no Jew is evicted. We passed Gush Katif and the folly of uprooting Jews from their homes. We got rockets in Ashkelon. We don't have to worry about saving Jews and preventing their uprooting? Therefore it is immensely virtuous even if it's not so pleasant to you and even if others will disparage you. You do something that you believe is in favor of the people of Israel.

"There's no ideological connection but a technical connection for going to elections so they won't lose votes and that's excellent. We should increase our votes in the wake of this responsible act of Jewish Home that acted like an adult."

Regarding Rabbi Benny Lau's words, Rabbi Druckman says: "Even with all the expressions that sound so harshly like Nazism, shocking expressions. After all, it's been discussed that it's forbidden to use anything belonging to the Holocaust. We demand of the youth that they not call a policeman and a soldier 'Nazi'. How can one say that voting for Jewish Home is to vote for Nazism? It is a remark lacking all responsibility. There aren't enough words in my mouth to condemn this expression.

"It's hard for me to believe that Rabbi Benny Lau said such things, he himself is the son of a Holocaust survivor, and I respect and love him, but I refer to the things that were published in his name, and them I denounce, there can be no such thing. Jews are not Nazis. Jews are Jews even if their worldview is different from mine. I must go against the words that were said, but to say this about them: It's not right and it's not moral."

Rabbi Druckman was also asked if the issue of the final union between National Union and Jewish Home could and should be finalized on the day after the elections. "There's no reason why there should be two such parties, there's no difference between them, neither ideologically nor in terms of the people who represent them. We won't go into the historical reasons why each brother-party was established. Today there's no reason for it and they should unite."

Rabbi Druckman rejects the fear that precisely because of the union with Otzma, Netanyahu will choose to join Benny Gantz's party when the government is formed. "I don't understand such calculations, they don't make sense to me. I certainly believe that a right-wing government will be established that will safeguard the Land of Israel and advance the people of Israel and the State of Israel."