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Lieberman now throwing his 'no loyalty, no citizenship' motto at Shas
By Lily Galili
Tags: shas, avigdor lieberman 

Hours after she first heard about Rabbi Ovadia Yosef's verbal attack on Russian immigrants for "selling pork and praying at churches," the Russian-immigrant owner of a grocery store in Netanya said Sunday she feared that Shas might try to shut her business down.

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"I wasn't going to vote this year but now my husband says we have to vote for [Avigdor Lieberman], otherwise they [Shas] will shut us down," she said, referring to the Soviet-born head of Yisrael Beiteinu.
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"It's true we don't sell pork here but I'm from Russia and that might be enough [to close us.]" Like many Russian-speaking Israelis, who number over a million, she understood the harsh words from Shas's spiritual leader as an insult to an entire community.

Yisrael Beiteinu's campaign slogan, which was originally aimed at Israeli Arabs, declared that there can be "no citizenship without loyalty." On Sunday it was hurled at Shas. Just like Israel's Arabs, most members of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi community which Shas represents don't serve in the army. Yisrael Beiteinu thus questions their loyalty and right to citizenship.

Many people in Shas admit that Yosef's comments about pork and churches have benefited Lieberman. At the same time, many Yisrael Beiteinu officials say they fear that the "punishment" promised by Yosef has lost them religious voters. But they know they have gained others in return, mostly Russian-speakers considering voting for either Yisrael Beiteinu or Likud.

"There are three that deserve thanks for Yisrael Beiteinu's popularity," Lieberman said Sunday. "The police, [Ta'al MK] Ahmed Tibi and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. No doubt at the moment the rabbi deserves first prize."

By no means is this the first time Yosef's statements in an election campaign have backfired. In 1999 he talked about "the Russians that cropped up from the netherworld."

Still, the effect might not be as strong as in 1999. "We've grown used to Ovadia Yosef's rants," said MK Sofa Landver, number 5 on Yisrael Beiteinu's party list.

Yosef's statement wasn't devoid of rationale. His repeated use in his speech of the phrase "the Russian party" was intended to stress Lieberman's pedigree, not just to stir sectarian sentiment among his core voters.

But Yosef's efforts might very well fail. In both the makeup of its party roster and the scope of its goals, Yisrael Beiteinu has long ceased being solely a "Russian party." If in 2006 one-third of its voters were not Russian immigrants, the figure is now up to half. Clearly, increasing the number of non-Russian voters for his party was Lieberman's goal this campaign.

At the moment, Lieberman stands poised to be a serious contender for the position of prime minister in future elections. But for now Lieberman has his work cut out for him. He has to deal with police investigations against him as well as concerns over his position in the coalition that forms after February 10.

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      1.   `no loyalty, no citizenship` motto 06:02  |  Salomon 09/02/09
      2.   mr liberman, go forth go strong,G-d bless you 06:52  |  dr manuch 09/02/09
      3.   When Lieberman went after the Arabs, I said nothing 08:45  |  binny 09/02/09
      4.   Lieberman 08:48  |  JL 09/02/09
      5.   This man must be reduced-to-size.... 09:18  |  Esther 09/02/09
      6.   With regard to the most recent Russian 09:39  |  Robert Haymond 09/02/09
      7.   Selling Israel for the pork... 09:49  |  UlfT 09/02/09
      8.   How does one define or measure loyalty? 10:04  |  Natallie Durson 09/02/09
      9.   Selling pork in Israel should be illegal... 10:12  |  Ofer Maimon 09/02/09
      10.   #3, Esther 10:14  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/09
      11.   Russian Party? 10:14  |  Sceptic 09/02/09
      12.   The battle of the pork 10:15  |  UlfT 09/02/09
      13.   HAARETZ WILL BE THE NEXT TARGET 10:32  |  indrajaya 09/02/09
      14.   Excellent question, Durson! Part2 10:42  |  Sceptic 09/02/09
      15.   #7 If you wear Catholic cassocks they can eat pork 10:57  |  UlfT 09/02/09
      16.   Excellent question, Durson! Part2 10:59  |  Sceptic 09/02/09
      17.   #6. Durson 11:01  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/02/09
      18.   there was no need because neither attracts the same voters 11:11  |  zionist forever 09/02/09
      19.   LOYALTY OATH 11:32  |  fly in the ointment 09/02/09
      20.   Not what goes into, but out of mouth defiles: YB`s RED HERRINGS! 11:32  |  Ivar 09/02/09
      21.   # 8 to cipora re: military service 12:11  |  eric 09/02/09
      22.   What Lieberman is providing 12:35  |  Tzfonit 09/02/09
      23.   Cipora Julianna Kohn # 15 Well Said 13:10  |  Jeff Northridge 09/02/09
      24.   Excellent question, Durson! Part1 13:39  |  Sceptic 09/02/09
      25.   Liberman didn`t really serve in the army 14:56  |  GaileeHero 09/02/09
      26.   Is it state of the Jews or state of its loyal citizins 14:59  |  GaileeHero 09/02/09
      27.   If Arab Citizens of the State of Israel has 16:06  |  ARTH 09/02/09
      28.   Look who is talking! IVAR the terrible 16:14  |  Sceptic 09/02/09
      29.   # 23 jeff the judge 17:35  |  Axel 09/02/09
      30.   #10 Cipora Julianna Kohn. Defending the state or... 00:08  |  Maureen Ann 10/02/09
      31.   zionist forever (18), tough talk is cheap 02:45  |  Reuben A`aron 10/02/09
      32.   Ivar and his total mishmash 07:07  |  Ibrahim Shvonce 10/02/09
      33.   # 3 two more left, binny; WHO will be next i wonder? 09:27  |  eric 10/02/09
      34.   My debt to Maureen Ann 10:10  |  Sceptic 10/02/09
      35.   Yisrael Beiteinu and the antibodies of the Israel society 10:17  |  Simon Perelman 10/02/09
      36.   CJK # 10 to ester Now the israeli arabs can be their own jailers 15:15  |  American in NY 10/02/09
      37.   CJK #17 re: durson -dual loyalty for Israeli Arabs 15:17  |  American in NY 10/02/09
      38.   #17 Nonsensical examples, Cipora 02:13  |  Johnboy 11/02/09
      39.   A better idea: No citizenship, no loyalty 03:02  |  Reuven 11/02/09
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