In a letter to the Prime Minister's Bureau he released this morning, MK Poraz wrote, "It is not the job of the Prime Minister's Office in particular, nor of the State in general, to use public funds to publicize ads whose purpose is only to encourage Jewish repentance and participation in Yom Kippur prayers. The State has more important needs on which to spend money than this unnecessary campaign."
Poraz later explained that the State has no business sponsoring a campaign geared to encourage Jews to become religious, "or at the very least, to awaken religious feeling."
A spokesman for the campaign explained that an increasing number of requests have been received from people who would like to understand and take part in religious services, and that it is the purpose of the campaign to assist those who so desire.
MK Zevulun Orlev, leader of the National Religious Party, had sharp words for his left-wing Knesset colleague. "Poraz once again has revealed the anti-Jewish face of the Shinui Party," Orlev said this morning, "which would like to remove Yom Kippur from the Jewish calendar. Congregational prayer on Yom Kippur symbolizes the attraction and bonds of the Jewish masses to the Jewish tradition, and is a paradigm of Jewish unity."
In light of Prime Minister Sharon's recent political overtures to the Shinui Party, Orlev called on Sharon "not to sell the State of Israel's Jewish soul to the Shinui movement."
Shas Party leader MK Eli Yishai said, "Poraz wants to erase everything that has even a smidgeon of Judaism and tradition. His war against tradition shows that he apparently wants to be the anti-Jewish censor. I'm sorry that [he did this] on the eve of Yom Kippur. He still has a few days left to repent."
Poraz later explained that the State has no business sponsoring a campaign geared to encourage Jews to become religious, "or at the very least, to awaken religious feeling."
A spokesman for the campaign explained that an increasing number of requests have been received from people who would like to understand and take part in religious services, and that it is the purpose of the campaign to assist those who so desire.
MK Zevulun Orlev, leader of the National Religious Party, had sharp words for his left-wing Knesset colleague. "Poraz once again has revealed the anti-Jewish face of the Shinui Party," Orlev said this morning, "which would like to remove Yom Kippur from the Jewish calendar. Congregational prayer on Yom Kippur symbolizes the attraction and bonds of the Jewish masses to the Jewish tradition, and is a paradigm of Jewish unity."
In light of Prime Minister Sharon's recent political overtures to the Shinui Party, Orlev called on Sharon "not to sell the State of Israel's Jewish soul to the Shinui movement."
Shas Party leader MK Eli Yishai said, "Poraz wants to erase everything that has even a smidgeon of Judaism and tradition. His war against tradition shows that he apparently wants to be the anti-Jewish censor. I'm sorry that [he did this] on the eve of Yom Kippur. He still has a few days left to repent."