Did the Jewish Home Party get a Slap in the Face from this Rabbi?

ג' לחודש השמיני תשע"ד

אתמול קיבלנו ברכה מהרבנית צביה אליהו והיום הרב שמואל אליהו שליט"א שלח לנו מכתב תמיכה. אנחנו מודים על התמיכה ומבטיחים לייהד את ירושלים!

ירושלים מאוחדת בראשות שמואל שקדי ואריה קינג 

Yesterday, we received a blessing from Rabbanit Tzviah Eliyahu, and today from Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu shlit"a sent us a letter of support. We are thankful for the support, and promise to keep Jerusalem Jewish!  

- Unified Jerusalem Party - led by Shmu'el Shaqedi and Aryeh King

(Tip Credit: Shuqi)

כיפה: הרב אליהו: מצווה מיוחדת לחזק את בניין ירושלים

במטה "ירושלים מאוחדת" מציגים מכתב תמיכה ששיגר הרב שמואל אליהו לאריה קינג, בו הוא מחזק אותו על פעילותו "בנושא יישוב עיר הקודש ירושלים על ידי יהודים" - יונתן אוריך, כ"ח תשרי תשע"ד (ללחוץ כטן להמשך בעברית)

Translation:

Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu

Kippah: Rabbi Eliyahu - It is a special misswah to strengthen the building of Jerusalem
At the Unified Jerusalem Party Headquarters a letter of support sent by Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu to Aryeh King, in which he bolsters his activities, under the heading of the Jewish settlement of the Holy City of Jerusalem.

Yonatan Orich, 28 Tishrei 5774/October 2, 2013

At the headquarters of the Unified Jerusalem Party, contending against the Jewish Home Party in the Jerusalem municipal elections, on display today was Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu's letter which had been sent about two months ago to Aryeh King, in which he blesses him over his public operations in the capital.

Shmuel Shaqedi

"I want to thank you for your work on the issue of Jewish settlement in the Holy City of Jerusalem," writes Rabbi Eliyahu in the letter to King, "Previously, we needed a decision from the government that Jerusalem be unified and Jewish. Today we need to turn all of our prayers for generations into fact and reality with another house, with another garden, with another neighborhood, with another family."

"The continued building of the city needs a special kind of strength," writes Rabbi Eliyahu, "Our enemies are trying to curb our efforts. The nations which represent themselves as friends also cry out each time we approve a new building project in Jerusalem, and the Israeli government becomes terrified, and operates by limping along. Therefore, today it is a special misswah to strengthen the building of Jerusalem. So, I applaud you and your efforts in the building of the city, and very much hope for your success."

Aryeh King

In the meantime, yesterday the heads of the party met with the widow of the late Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"l, in the Qiriyath Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem. The Rabbanit, who hosted Shmu'el Shaqedi, Aryeh King, Haggit Moshe, and Tzviqah Yungreis, said that the United Jerusalem list must fight for its principles over the treatment of the neighborhoods [bordering Arab neighborhoods], and the struggle to keep Jerusalem Jewish.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Shuqi asked me if I thought that this was a slap in the face to the Jewish Home Party.

Naftali Bennett
Jewish Home Party
National Chairperson

I would have to say that my answer is a definitive "Yes."

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu ztz"l was one of the Jewish Home Party's primary rabbis from whom it would receive answers to its questions of halakhah (Torah Law). In fact, when the Jewish Home Party was still the National Religious Party [NRP], it approached Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu to ask him if they could put a woman on its list of candidates for the 2003 Parliamentary Elections. Rabbi Eliyahu said, "No." Yet, the NRP did so anyway, using the justification that they "have other rabbis."

Well, apparently, now Mordechai Eliyahu's widow, and his son, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu appear to have "other" political parties.

Yep! This was definitely a slap in the face.