Last night, a conversation evening was held in the sukkah of Knesset member Michal Waldiger from religious Zionism, which was attended by Rabbi Benny Lau, Knesset member Hili Tropper, and former Knesset member Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin.
At a certain point, with the entrance of Rabbi Yitzhak Waserlauf from the Otzma Yehudit party to the Sukkah, Rabbi Benny Lau abandoned the place.
Now, MK Waldiger, whose event was held, as mentioned, in her Sukkah, responds to Rabbi Lau, saying that his unity journey is probably only to places where he is comfortable.
"Thank you, Rabbi Benny Lau, for honoring us with your presence," Waldiger wrote to him. "I was happy to host you in our sukkah, just as I was happy to host our other guests, including Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin - with her and with you, Your Honor, I have disagreements, probably quite a few, which I believe are more about the way than about the substance."
"I was pained that you chose to leave the sukkah when a minister in the State of Israel entered it, whatever his party, especially when you write about the journey you made with Ayelet, "a journey to the equal valley", Especially when you write that this journey was "a journey from place to place along the entire Israeli continuum with the belief that each person has his own dream and his own pain". Especially when you continue to write - "out of trust that in a meeting something happens, after which, there is a chance of union".
"And here you choose to ignore, or perhaps more extreme than that, to leave the Sukkah when a minister from a party you do not agree with arrives. So maybe your journey was not on the entire Israeli continuum, but only to the places that you think are suitable, and the ones that are far away are skipped? Also, the words of your rabbi that were said last night and you mention them also in a post about that minister from my party."
"I don't know what this is about, but I do say that a minister's job is to serve the entire population and there is no dispute about that. I am sure that the minister you are referring to also thinks, believes, and acts like this. He is still who he is and his beliefs remain as they are. This is how it has always been and is expected to be. After all, elected officials are elected on the basis of their platform, on the basis of their opinions and beliefs, among other things, how they think the state should be run, distribute its resources, and more."
"Are you suggesting that elected officials declare one thing and actually do the opposite? Of course, the job requires listening and serving the public, but it does not require exchanging ideologies and beliefs. I believe that there were ideological disputes and probably always will be and it is not true that a discourse of love, respect, and unity would depend on renouncing them.
The meeting last night did not come to change opinions, but to try and change discourse and style. I assume, Your Honor, that we have a lot more to talk about and I hope we will do so."
