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Religious Zionism / Hitting where it hurts By Nadav Shragai Tags: Yesha Council, ehud olmert  Prime Minister Ehud Olmert knows the study hall of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva in Jerusalem very well. Up to a few years ago he was the mayor of Jerusalem and a regular guest of honor at the main event organized by the yeshiva, the annual Jerusalem Day celebration. Olmert would make his crowd-pleasing speeches about the unity of Jerusalem, and a sea of knitted skullcaps carried him on high. A lot of bad blood has passed between Olmert and his former knitted skullcap-wearing fans since then. The pleasant memories have turned into real bitterness against the man they consider to have betrayed them and converted. Advertisement The bloody terror attack on the flagship of the religious Zionism movement will only make their attitude toward Olmert more extreme. After the funeral, or even possibly during them, religious MKs, and other bodies such as the Yesha Settlers Council and other right-wing, non-parliamentary organizations, will demand the immediate cessation of talks with the Palestinians. The demands will be made of Olmert, but will mostly be directed toward Shas, whose leader, Eli Yishai, had previously declared that Shas is not willing to negotiate under fire. Now the right will demand that Yishai keep his promise. The implementation of the partial agreements over the illegal outposts will almost certainly be frozen, at least on the Yesha Council's side. Its leaders cannot allow themselves to be seen as aiding the removal of Jews while in Jerusalem other Jews are murdered. The political leadership of religious Zionism in the Knesset, the rabbis from the West Bank and the leadership of the Yesha Council, many of whom, or their children, studied at Mercaz Harav, are expected to demand "a proper Zionist response." Such a response for them would be a renewal of frozen construction in Jerusalem and nearby environs. Shas, which is already being forced to explain to its voters what it is still doing in a government that is discussing dividing Jerusalem, will have to join in these demands on Olmert. The prime minister will then have to decide to which pressure to give in to, from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or from Eli Yishai. Activities of the right-wing groups constantly attempting to build new illegal settlements will only increase, even without coordination with the official settler bodies or religious MKs. The Mercaz Harav yeshiva is the symbol of the statesman-like official side of religious Zionism. Its heads object to the calls for disengaging and distancing themselves from the state;and its institutions will now be put to the test. The rabbis of the religious Zionist movement will have to stand firm against the calls for revenge, and the dangerous possibility of their followers taking the law into their own hands. Bookmark to del.icio.us   From Pyongyan with Love N. Korea's leader expresses hope for stronger ties with Syria Peres in Paris Pres. tells <i>Le Figaro</i> Israel won't act alone to halt Iran nuke program.   1.   to stop this we need peace not war 17:19  |  roy 07/03/08   2.   Ehud and Yeshiva 17:44  |  Paul 07/03/08   3.   A fresh new perspective 18:33  |  GoyFromAmerica 07/03/08   4.   To Goy from America 19:47  |  Yitzchak 07/03/08   5.   Olmert is to blame for what happen at Mercaz Harav Yeshiva 20:44  |  Shepherd 07/03/08   6.   MrGoyMan, You`re articulate but not that smart. 00:52  |  ManintheMiddle 08/03/08   7.   Truth 01:10  |  Reb 08/03/08   8.   To Goy....about that freshness... 03:58  |  mea 08/03/08   9.   Hammas 20:53  |  Claus 08/03/08

Today Online Bradley Burston: To the Westerner who 'understands' terrorist Responses: 544 A. Issacharoff: Gazans see yeshiva attack as unusual achievement Responses: 255 U.S.: Peace talks must go on despite Jerusalem massacre Responses: 308 Yossi Sarid: Yasser Arafat is dead, but his curse lives on Responses: 74 More Headlines 21:55 Police nab 8 in connection to Jerusalem terror attack 00:08 Olmert vows deterrence will be achieved against terror groups 00:14 'His face would glow with joy,' say friends of yeshiva attack victim 19:26 ADL denounces 'shocking' UN inaction on J'lem terror attack 17:51 Cairo official: Gaza Strip conflict serves Syrian interests 18:00 Report: Peres says Israel will not act alone to halt Iran nuke program 17:52 Israel marks Int'l Women's Day with music, drama and art 11:12 Putin - Not so much pro-Jewish as free from anti-Semitism 01:01 Egyptian police shoot Sudanese man trying to enter Israel illegally 20:13 Germany's Jews opposed to proposal for medal for bravery 13:02 North Korea's leader expresses hope for stronger friendship with Syria 07:25 IDF arrests three Palestinians who threw bombs at settlement Previous Editions Select Day 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb

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