Shinui Party leader Tommy Lapid veered sharply to the side this morning when he expressed willingness to sit in a coalition with United Torah Judaism, though not with Shas. Lapid has spent his political career bashing both hareidi parties, the UTJ and Shas. MKs of United Torah Judaism were asked today if they would agree to sit with Shinui without Shas. MK Moshe Gafni said that he would sit in such a government only if Shinui agreed not to try to further erode the status quo on religious issues. Asked how he explains Lapid's about-face regarding UTJ, Gafni said, "So he said something last week, so what? When we say something, it's based on a deep tradition of the Torah of Israel of thousands of years. But Lapid's party has no deep traditions to draw on, so therefore he can say last week one thing, and this week say something else…"
Gafni's party colleague MK Meir Porush was asked the same question by Arutz-7's Haggai Segal: "Will you join the government with Shinui and without Shas?" Porush responded, "We will not sit in a coalition while Shas is being excommunicated... Why would we want to sit without Shas, and thus weaken our bargaining position on behalf of hareidi issues? ... In general, we won't be with Lapid if he thinks for a moment that he will change the status quo... During the election campaign he said that UTJ is the biggest enemy…"
Porush said that his party is in touch with Shas on these issues, though not as much with the NRP. "Shinui has not disqualified NRP, so they have less of a problem," Porush explained. Segal: "But they won't want to be the only religious party in the government?" Porush: "That's the NRP's problem, not ours." It was later reported that UTJ, Shas, and NRP had agreed to work together on matters relating to the "preservation of the Jewish character of the State."
Gafni's party colleague MK Meir Porush was asked the same question by Arutz-7's Haggai Segal: "Will you join the government with Shinui and without Shas?" Porush responded, "We will not sit in a coalition while Shas is being excommunicated... Why would we want to sit without Shas, and thus weaken our bargaining position on behalf of hareidi issues? ... In general, we won't be with Lapid if he thinks for a moment that he will change the status quo... During the election campaign he said that UTJ is the biggest enemy…"
Porush said that his party is in touch with Shas on these issues, though not as much with the NRP. "Shinui has not disqualified NRP, so they have less of a problem," Porush explained. Segal: "But they won't want to be the only religious party in the government?" Porush: "That's the NRP's problem, not ours." It was later reported that UTJ, Shas, and NRP had agreed to work together on matters relating to the "preservation of the Jewish character of the State."