1.
It was hard not to notice the "we won" headlines that appeared in the weekend newspapers. As if all of Haredi Judaism would try their best to elect Reuven Rivlin as president of the state; as if all of the Haredi MKs were there for him - and lo and behold, we won.
Just a week ago I could barely find an article on the subject. Here and there, minor news items were published. There were newspapers that explicitly wrote that the subject was not of great interest to Haredi Judaism. Well, what difference does it make who receives the postmaster general from Venezuela...
And now a week has passed, and the entire media is cheering. For me, personally, it was jarring.
As if Rivlin didn't win in the first round by only 44 votes, of which, it seems, was a single vote from United Torah Judaism and another three or four from Shas.
Suddenly, the legends struck them.
A family weekly was able to tell of a phone call on the morning of election day between Yaffe Deri, the devoted wife of the Shas chairman, and Rivka Ravitz, in which she informed her that "Shas is with Rivlin.".
The legend, if you asked yourself, has no basis. There was a polite phone call of congratulations and success. Nothing more than that. To tell the truth? I'm not at all sure that Yaffa Deri knows who every MK in Shas votes for. She is busy with important issues like women's colleges, the charity project, and managing her own family – and no, she is not one of those who 'interferes.'.
The second legend – we elected Rivlin to defeat Netanyahu. To take revenge on him.
""The picture of the week is not the picture of the winner of the presidential election, Reuven Rivlin, but rather the picture of the big loser - Benjamin Netanyahu," announced the daily Yated Ne'eman. "The unity demonstrated by the Haredi representatives in the second round around the election of Rivlin was mainly directed against Netanyahu," the newspaper continued, perpetuating the legend.
Revenge on Netanyahu? Well, where were the MKs a week earlier? Why were they debating what would get more revenge on Bibi - a vote for Rivlin or a vote for Itzik-Shtrit-Shechtman-Dorner?
All those who voted in the first round for Dalia Itzik did so after deciding that this was revenge on Netanyahu, that someone from his 'beloved' party would not be elected president. How did the theory suddenly change, when Shtrit was standing opposite (and Bebi was lusting after him)?
Let's face the truth: the ultra-Orthodox MKs 'did a favor' and voted for Rivlin in the second round, only because the alternative was much worse, according to their worldview.
2.
Suddenly, Interior Minister Gideon Sa'ar became a favorite of the Haredim (he's even been wearing a kippah recently, according to D'HaModia). As if he hadn't raised his hand, along with all his friends (including Rivlin), in favor of the draft law. As if he wasn't the man against whom Meir Porush (then Deputy Minister of Education) came out in a protest camp, during the days of the infamous Emanuel affair.
Only a few weeks have passed since the Haredi media crowned the alternative to Netanyahu - MK Bozhi Herzog from Labor, and this week they rushed to replace him with the Haredi favorite - Saar.
How did Yated Ne'eman crown the victory of the Haredi parties this week? "The Haredi MKs proved that they were the ones who functioned in this week's elections as responsible adults. They knew how to make the right decisions without deals and combinations, as was the case in other parties, and set a school for everyone.".
So it's true that the quote is taken from 'many commentators' who wrote this, as a Yated Ne'eman writer checked and found, and yet it's hard not to chuckle. A responsible adult is someone in whose party 3-4 MKs follow Eli Yishai's minority opinion, plus 6-7 give their votes to someone who didn't even make it past the first round (Dalia Itzik, 28 votes)? A responsible adult is someone who is a lone MK in his party who announced his support for Rivlin at the start of the race, but didn't get any more members to join him?
A responsible adult, according to the ultra-Orthodox parties.
3.
The Hamodia daily is, in my opinion, the only one that has the right - and rightly so - to publish the cover headline: "Netanyahu's Deteriorating Defeat." Its representative in the Knesset, MK Yaakov Litzman, was the one who knew from the start that supporting Rivlin would be real revenge on Netanyahu, and therefore there is logic in the conclusion he made.
Everyone else - hitchhikers.
Here, for example, is the herald, which declared in a huge headline: "The system has been defeated." What system, exactly? The system of traveling abroad, instead of democratic voting?
That's what happens when the front page talks about "overwhelming support from the ultra-Orthodox representatives." Overwhelming, in the 'harbinger' style.
4.
And another theory from the preacher's seminary: "The people remembered the voice that had choked up once before when he proclaimed 'Long live the president of the country' in a voice choked with tears, and felt sorry for him.".
Come on, is it the people who crowned Reuven Rivlin as president of the state? And did anyone ask the people? Is it the people who cast ballots in the plenum, behind the curtain?
Gafni, just for example, remembered the voice that was stifled seven years ago when he gave up the primaries to Shimon Peres, and decided to put Rivlin on the ballot this time? And didn't he do so only in the second round, after the alternative was found to be worse?
And did Deri, Atias or Margi remember those sad moments?
Well, really.
5.
Lieberman also didn't come out clean in the weekend press. This time the herald was right when he listed, one by one, his serial failures, only from the recent period.
One - the degree of success that the unification of the Likud and Yisrael Beiteinu parties will produce. Lieberman dreamed of over 40 seats and had to settle for a little over 30.
The second - the burning lost the mayoralty of Jerusalem, with his representative Moshe Leon.,
The third - the victory of Ruben Rivlin, the man who was half-heartedly supported by the Prime Minister, but not even half-heartedly or with the slightest hint from the "Beitu" in Likud-Beitu.
Have he and Netanyahu lost their sharp political senses? Time will tell.
6.
But it seems that the big loser of the week was actually the weekly in the community.
Only a week has passed since the newspaper eulogized Meir Sheetrit ("arrogant, arrogant, certain that the truth was born with him"), adding that "if he receives more than five votes from across the Knesset, it will be a miracle. He knows this too. So why is he running? The answer lies in the above definition of character.".
Well, the miracle happened. Sheetrit received 'a little' more than five votes. And it turns out that he ran not because of the "character definition above," but because he knew that he had strong support across the left and center. Perhaps also because he thought he had a good chance of advancing to the second round.
Not because he's arrogant. Just because he was there, on his way to the second round.
7.
The big winner this time was the family competitor.
After issues in which you could find not-so-accurate details about the presidential campaign (Attias signed for Fouad, Attias resigns immediately after the presidential elections, and more), this week the weekly published an excellent article about the president of the state.
The newspaper reporter accompanied Rivlin's team in the days leading up to the vote, and managed to uncover interesting details.
""I've had a wound ever since," Rivka Ravitz said about her feelings since that loss, seven years ago.
And another human sentence of hers. When asked about the tension between Ben Rivlin and Netanyahu, she had a hard time putting her finger on the point. Apparently, it was a sentence he said that his wife does not interfere, a sentence that was understood as if it was directed at Sarah, who does interfere. But he did not mean it. "Sarah is a good woman," said Rivka, adding that she described how she brought disabled children to the Knesset, and how Ruby, as chairman, cooperated with her wholeheartedly.
And another story, which it seems no matter how many times it is told, will never enter the minds of our esteemed MKs, according to which the vote on the conscription law was originally planned for Tuesday, and was postponed at the last minute. Rivka warned Gafni that Rivlin would return towards Wednesday, and that it would be better to hold the vote on Tuesday, so that he could not vote, but her warning was not heeded. Later, when he voted, he was accused by the Haredi parties.
And last but not least, the story about the ten-year-old grandson who used to come to the office for a long time, stay with his grandfather, eat with him and spend time together.
In the community, on the other hand, he was content with a diary that contained no exclusive materials, one that contained details known to all media outlets. Only one interesting story caught my eye, a sentence that the writer testifies to having been told 'not to quote' (don't expect ultra-Orthodox journalists not to quote a sentence that they were told not to quote, most of them wouldn't stand the test).
""I know I will be president," Rivlin said.
How do you know?
""What does how mean? I have a letter from Rabbi Yosef who said to choose me. I am convinced that his opinion, the opinion of Torah, is the one that will determine.".
To read - and not to believe. Decades in politics, and Reuven Rivlin remains naive. He continues to believe in people, he still believes that Shas' Torah views remain stuck and attached to the Torah views of Maran zt"l.
From his mouth, straight to God.
Join the Haredim 10 Facebook page >>
Join the X page of Haredim 10 >>
Want more news, videos and stories? Join the Haredim 10 WhatsApp channel >>
