Eran Sternberg, the former Gush Katif spokesman who has called upon the religious camp not to enlist in the IDF for the coming duration, has written an open letter entitled, "To the Despaired Expellee who has Decided not to Vote in the Coming Elections." Sternberg writes:
The National Union/NRP joint list is also trying to offset the bitterness of those who don't wish to vote. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) visited Beit El on Monday night, and explained to the audience, "It's simple arithmetic. The system favors the large parties, and if there are extra votes left over, they are usually apportioned to the larger parties. Therefore, a vote that could have gone to the National Union/NRP but stayed home instead, is a vote for Kadima - it's as simple as that."
Sternberg told Arutz-7 that though this claim may be true, it will not convince the bitter residents of Gush Katif. He wrote in his letter,
"And who knows?" Sternberg added later in an explanatory comment. "Maybe they'll even get into the Knesset!"
Voting for the hareidi parties is not a realistic option, Sternberg told Arutz-7, "particularly United Torah Judaism, because of the fact that it entered the Sharon government at a critical time. And Shas, too, does not exactly have the Land of Israel as its main priority. But if someone wants to vote for Shas, then of course that is better than not voting at all."
Sternberg's letter concludes,
"Please, friends, vote! For despite the strong desire to simply kick out, a kick at this particular system has no significance (as opposed to at others, where it is a bull's-eye...)
"Whoever feels a tremendous need to broadcast a sense of de-legitimization of the system, allow me to remind you that our brothers the hareidim, who at first refused to express any recognition in the value of the State, largely did not refrain from voting, and rather tried to 'gather up what they could,' in the style of the Chafetz Chaim [who talked of a market vendor whose goods were scattered to the ground, and instead of wailing ineffectually about it, joined the other passers-by in gathering up what he could]. They made sure to express their lack of recognition of the State in other, more effective ways.
"Vote, because hundreds of thousands of people struggled sincerely alongside us in the past two years, losing months of work and much money. Some of them literally slept outside and 'ate dirt.' These masses of people tried with all their might and resources to prevent the destruction, and they are not at fault that the struggle did not succeed. Now, a large portion of them are themselves threatened with uprooting... We ourselves might not be able to fight against another uprooting in the coming years, but the least of the least that we can do in terms of showing our thanks is to simply go and vote.
"Even if we are sure that it won't help, many of these people think that it could help, and therefore it would be nice to honor their opinion. Certainly it will not do any harm."
The National Union/NRP joint list is also trying to offset the bitterness of those who don't wish to vote. MK Uri Ariel (National Union) visited Beit El on Monday night, and explained to the audience, "It's simple arithmetic. The system favors the large parties, and if there are extra votes left over, they are usually apportioned to the larger parties. Therefore, a vote that could have gone to the National Union/NRP but stayed home instead, is a vote for Kadima - it's as simple as that."
Sternberg told Arutz-7 that though this claim may be true, it will not convince the bitter residents of Gush Katif. He wrote in his letter,
"Vote, because... if another catastrophe is decided on, there will still be much room for maneuvering in the various Knesset committees, with potential for achievements and improvements in many little clauses... These should not be minimized... Even if we are not impressed - and with a measure of justification - by the claim that 'if you don't vote, you're essentially voting for Kadima,' we should at least realize that not voting is a slap in the face in the form of genuine damage to many of those who sincerely struggled for you. That would not be fair.
"...Vote, because no one fools himself into believing that the Holy Temple and the Messiah will result from politics - such that the claim that the very act of voting will divert our strengths and cause us not to seek truly effective ways of extricating ourselves from the mud, is not correct, in my opinion. It cannot be said that the lack of a genuine plan is the result of the fact that we are involved in politics.
"Vote, because in the political supermarket, I am sure that everyone can find some party that could use benefit from his vote in the struggle for Israel's Jewish character and for the Land of Israel. Those who support unity in the struggle, you have for whom to vote. Those who support an assertive struggle and are tired of impotent unity, you also have for whom to vote. And for those who still don't want to vote, there are parties that if they receive your vote, then [even if they don't receive the required minimum to enter the Knesset], they will at least register your vote and will know that you really didn't want to vote..."
"And who knows?" Sternberg added later in an explanatory comment. "Maybe they'll even get into the Knesset!"
Voting for the hareidi parties is not a realistic option, Sternberg told Arutz-7, "particularly United Torah Judaism, because of the fact that it entered the Sharon government at a critical time. And Shas, too, does not exactly have the Land of Israel as its main priority. But if someone wants to vote for Shas, then of course that is better than not voting at all."
Sternberg's letter concludes,
"Therefore, my expelled brothers, for Heaven's sake, even if you can't take the stench, close your nose and drag yourselves to the polling booth and vote!"