Agudat Israel
From Freepedia
- For the international movement see World Agudath Israel, for the US wing see Agudath Israel of America
Agudat Israel (Agudat Yisrael or Agudath Israel) began as the original political party representing Haredi Judaism in Israel. It was the umbrella party for almost all Haredi Jews in Israel, and before that in the British Mandate of Palestine. It originated in the original Agudath Israel movement founded in Europe in the early part of the twentieth century. It then later became the Hasidic wing of the United Torah Judaism (Yahadut HaTorah) (UTJ) party, which was comprised of Agudat Israel, representing mostly the Hasidim and Degel HaTorah, representing the non-Hasidic Mitnagdim Haredi Jews of Israel, with which it parted ways once both parties joined the government coalition of Prime Minister of Israel Ariel Sharon in 2004 effectively ending the UTJ union.
Though Agudat Israel has never elected more than a handful of members in the Knesset, it has often played crucial roles in coalition governments due to the nature of Israel's system of proportional representation and has used its political leverage to obtain funding for its yeshivas and community institutions and to pass legislation enforcing observance of the Shabbat and kosher (dietary) laws, often to the consternation of secular Israelis.
Political power is presently vested in the Hasidic rebbes of Ger, Vizhniz and Belz. In addition policy decisions of Aguddat Israel are ratified by its Council of Torah Sages which includes several more prominent Hasidic leaders and scholars, many are leading rabbis from the main constituent groups. When participating in government coalitions, the party generally refrains from accepting actual cabinet posts. Its positions on Israeli foreign policy and the Palestinian question has been flexible in the past since the party formally rejects political secular Zionism and does not view such issues ideologically. Therefore, it has been able to participate in both Likud and Labour led coalitions. In more recent years it has become alarmed by Palestinian terrorism and thus becoming more sympathetic to the settler movement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and thus more security conscious on military issues affecting Israel's survival. Agudat Israel supported Sharon's decision in the recent unilateral disengagement plan of 2005.
Rabbis Meir Porush, Yaakov Litzman, and Yisroel Eichler have represented the party in Israel's Knesset recently.
See also
- Agudath Israel of America
- Degel HaTorah
- Haredi Judaism
- Hasidim and Mitnagdim
- United Torah Judaism
- World Agudath Israel
External link
- Agudat Israel article from the Jewish Virtual Library
