Yeshiva heads warn against protest votes in historic letter

In a historic move, the heads of chareidi yeshiva high schools published a letter Friday morning ahead of Tuesday's election, the first time they have ever issued a public position on an election, after staying silent through many previous campaigns.

The unexpected step came against the backdrop of Moti Leitner's Hatzibur Hachareidi party, which announced at a press conference that it will not withdraw from the race despite polls showing it at 0.3 percent support, far below the threshold. The party has drawn heavy criticism for becoming a "protest vote" with no chance of entering the Knesset.

In their letter, the roshei yeshivos stop short of endorsing any specific party, but state firmly that protest actions that harm the chareidi public as a whole "are not our way." "We have never acted out of protest or defiance," the roshei yeshivos write.

"The confrontation with these challenges must be done with responsibility, sound judgment and constructive thinking, while protecting and strengthening the Torah world, and in accordance with the path our rabbeim laid out for us," the signatories add.

The letter stresses the importance of acting according to the instructions of gedolei Yisrael. "Therefore, as we decide in the public battle before us, we must act according to the instructions of our rabbeim shlita and in the spirit of the path of our rabbeim zt"l, and refrain from participating in protests or actions that are not consistent with this path," the letter states.

Among the signatories: Rav Baruch Tzait of Maarava, Rav Avraham Greenbaum of Nehora, Rav Koldetzky of Hayishuv, Rav Michael Shoham of Nehardea, Rav Brandwein of Chedvas HaTorah, and Rav Brown of Mesivta in Beit Shemesh.

The publication comes as Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is applying heavy pressure on Leitner to withdraw from the race, in order to prevent the loss of votes from the right-wing bloc. Leitner for his part insists that he will not consider withdrawing unless the chareidi parties commit to supporting the reforms Netanyahu promised to advance for the chareidi public.