MK Elazar Stern? Oy!

ראש חודש השנים עשר תשע"ג

Wait a minute!  How did this guy sneak in, and how could I have missed it??

Former Maj. Gen. Elazar Stern is now Member of Knesset Elazar Stern!

He is part of Tzippy Livni's break-off from the Kadima Party, the party of which she lost the leadership.  He serves with fellow "stars" of Israeli politics:

• FAILED Labor Party Leader Amran Mitzna
• FAILED Labor Party Leader and former Union Leader Amir Peretz
  AKA: "Let's shut down the country and have a tantrum"
• Musical chairs party member and minister Meir Sheetrit

And who is the Elazar Stern of whom I speak?

From Elazar Stern's Wikipedia page:

MK Elazar Stern

As head of Human Resources Stern has overseen a program to convert non-Jewish IDF troops to Judaism. He has also led the integration of hesder units, homogeneous units of Orthodox male soldiers combining yeshiva studies with military service, into mainstream units. While criticised by some religious Israelis that the action was meant only to prevent insubordination of religious troops during the Gaza pullout, Stern maintains that it is better for the troops.

On October 14, 2005, Stern and his family were assaulted in Jerusalem while praying at the Western Wall in protest of his leading role in expelling Jews from the Gaza strip.

Esser Agaroth (2¢) Analysis:
Convert non-Jewish IDF troops - These IDF conversions have been nick-named גיור לייט  (conversion - light),...in other words, "just one calorie."  You do the math.

I am sure that there are good and true converts resulting from this program, but are all of them?

Integration of Hesder units - Translation?  Destruction of the hesder military yeshiva system. There was criticism, for Gaza ease, and for other reasons

Better for the troops - Yeah, better for the IDF leadership to maintain control of the troops,..."for their own good," of course.  Blah, Blah, Blah.

Assaulted...while praying at the Western Wall - A sometime guest of Rosh Yehsivah Aharon Binah of Netiv Aryeh in Jerusalem's Old City, Maj. Gen.Stern would pray at the Western Wall.  The incident mentioned above included Stern's being cursed out by a well-respected Hakham (Torah scholar) one who would certainly not behave in such a manner without good reason.  This Hakham's views and opinion of Stern were probably discounted, due to his lack of undying State loyalty.  After all, the mamlakhim (undying religious State loyalists) refuse to see any conflicts between the Torah and the State's laws.

Hakhamim, such as the one above, who hold Torah in higher regard that the State, are considered dangerous by the likes of Elazar Stern.

The fact that Stern is a member of Livni's left of center/left wing HaT'nu'a Party ("The Movement") makes perfect sense to me.

The fact that he wears a kippah does not.

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You can read more about former Maj. Gen., current MK Elazar Stern in the extensive post I wrote five years ago, I'm So Sick Of This Guy!

Don't know who Aharon Binah is?  Read about him here in the post I wrote about him six years ago, What The Hell Was He Thinking?!