Torah Achdus: Difference between revisions
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===Yarden Accords and the emergence of a Chareidi political identity=== | ===Yarden Accords and the emergence of a Chareidi political identity=== | ||
{{main|Neoconservatism (Yisrael)#Chareidi politics in the 1970s and 1980s|Yarden Accords#1969}} | {{main|Neoconservatism (Yisrael)#Chareidi politics in the 1970s and 1980s|Yarden Accords#1969}} | ||
The Torah Achdus party was founded during the peak of protest against the then-ongoing [[Yarden Accords#Peace_process|Yarden Accords peace process]]. With a slackening and growing laxity among children from Chareidi families attending state-run schools, the small and cloistered Chareidi world felt under siege and alienated from broader society, both fellow strictly religious as well as nominally religious sectors. | |||
In the early 1970s, [[Yezechiel Wein]] organized a nascent political force across Chareidi neighborhoods, originally as an independent organization. However, the TA soon joined forces with [[Royalist Conservative Party (Yisrael)|the Conservatives]]. Under the [[Binyamin Schwartz|Schwartz]] and [[Michoel Citron|Citron]] presidencies, the Chareidi Bloc was a steadfast Conservative ally in the [[Knesset]]. | |||
===Swing-vote status (1980s-2009)=== | ===Swing-vote status (1980s-2009)=== | ||
As part of [[Neoconservatism_(Yisrael)#Constitutional_Liberals_move_towards_the_center_.281980s-2010s.29|the moderating shift among the Constitutional Liberals due to the overwhelmingly success of the Schwartz-era Conservatives in the late 70s through the mid-1980s]], the Chareidi world was enticed by overtures from the new Con-Lib moderates, whose socially-moderate stances were not in alignment with the ''Chareidim'' but whose shared {{wp|Economic interventionism|state economic interventionist}} politics were a better fit. Starting with Con-Lib [[List_of_heads_of_government_of_Yisrael|Yosef Aronov]]'s election in 1988, Torah Achdus leadership reshuffled with the resignation of Wein and his Conservative-favoring clique after Aronov's inauguration. In return, a new clique focused on Con-Lib outreach and espousing an almost-purely transactional/benefits-seeking posture took over the party in February 1988 under the leadership of [[Nechemia Valkenburger]]. The Conservatives, meanwhile, termed this 'The Great Betrayal.' | |||
While more sympathetic to the Constitutional Liberals than the Conservatives owing to the center-left party's willingness to create new government programs and subsidies, Valkenburger was aloof from either major-party, with a singular focus on creating new economic benefits and subsidies to the Chareidi community, which he felt would raise many of the sector out of poverty and would permit for widespread {{wp|Torah study}} and keep the Chareidi world away from 'polluting' outside influences, a view he and many others believed came naturally from having to work a full-time, secular job. New, better-funded kollel and family subsidies and government ''largesse'' towards Chareidi institutions would be the chief aim of Valkenburger and his clique. | |||
The TA and the Con-Libs were not a perfect match, however. Anti-Chareidi elements still inhabited important parts of the [[Chiloni-dati_divide_(Yisrael)#Nominal_Religious|''Chiloni''-oriented]] party, and the TA would become the most sought-after swing vote in the Knesset over the course of the 1990s and early 2000s. The bipartisan corruption scandals of the [[List_of_heads_of_government_of_Yisrael|Greenbaum and Hillel administrations]] also ensnared a few Chareidi politicians, including Valkenburger himself in the June 2002 scandal of [[Naor Hillel]]. Valkenburger resigned from his Knesset seat a few months after the scandal broke, and was indicted and convicted the following year, serving 4 and a half years in prison. | |||
His protege, [[Feivel Lomsman]], attempted to keep his mentor's transactional-first grip on the party upon taking over in late 2002, but his weak control and petty personality clashes saw him lose a leadership challenge and retire from politics in 2004. The last of the Valkenburgist Chareidi politicians, [[Chesky Polnitser]], took over after challenging Lomsman and confronted a rising anti-Chareidi and anti-religious tide among parts of the Con-Lib base in the mid-2000s, [[Centrist_Revolt#Origins|part of a realigning trend unknown to most at the time]]. | |||
By the early 2000s, there was a growing demand from an emerging clique of Chareidim politicians who felt their interests should be more ideologically driven, and that an alliance with the Conservatives, as had been in the 1970s and 1980s, was the best course for the party and the sector. Politicians such as [[Yitzchok Katz]], [[Ariel Goldblatt]], and [[Yehudis Eisenberger]] all belonged to this group, which increasing adopted the moniker 'New Chareidi.' | |||
===2009 New Chareidi coup=== | ===2009 New Chareidi coup=== | ||
Revision as of 22:23, 21 February 2021
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Achdus Torah פאכדוס תורה | |
|---|---|
| name | Modern Hebrew |
| Leader | Moshe Lippman |
| Founder | Yezechiel Wein |
| Founded | July 23, 1969 |
| Preceded by | Degel HaTorah Agudas Shomray Shabbos |
| Headquarters | Yerushalayim, Yisrael |
| Student wing | Union of Yeshivah and Chareidi Students |
| Ideology | Religious conservatism Social conservatism Chareidi interests Internal Factions: Populism Ordoliberalism Welfare capitalism |
| Political position | Right |
| Religion | Orthodox Judaism |
| Colors | Silver |
| Seats in the Royal Knesset | 19 / 142
|
Torah Achdus (Modern Hebrew: פאכדוס תורה, lit. "Unity [of] Torah"), also commonly called the Chareidi Bloc or simply the Silvers (colloquially), is a contemporary right-wing and Chareidi interests secondary political party in Yisrael. It is apart of the governing Right Bloc majority in Knesset led by the Conservatives since 2020. The party has 19 Members of Knesset, its largest number in history due to gains from the unusually three-way 2020 presidential and political bloc contest. Its political base is largely confined to heavily-populated Chareidi and some Chardal communities in the cities and suburbs. It has traditional strongholds throughout Yerushalayim, as well as several largely-religious cities in the Central and Western Districts. It is typically the third-largest bloc in the Knesset. Under Yitzchok Katz's mediation, it has made an uneasy peace with the nonreligious nationalist Northern League.
Platform and philosophy
History
Yarden Accords and the emergence of a Chareidi political identity
The Torah Achdus party was founded during the peak of protest against the then-ongoing Yarden Accords peace process. With a slackening and growing laxity among children from Chareidi families attending state-run schools, the small and cloistered Chareidi world felt under siege and alienated from broader society, both fellow strictly religious as well as nominally religious sectors.
In the early 1970s, Yezechiel Wein organized a nascent political force across Chareidi neighborhoods, originally as an independent organization. However, the TA soon joined forces with the Conservatives. Under the Schwartz and Citron presidencies, the Chareidi Bloc was a steadfast Conservative ally in the Knesset.
Swing-vote status (1980s-2009)
As part of the moderating shift among the Constitutional Liberals due to the overwhelmingly success of the Schwartz-era Conservatives in the late 70s through the mid-1980s, the Chareidi world was enticed by overtures from the new Con-Lib moderates, whose socially-moderate stances were not in alignment with the Chareidim but whose shared state economic interventionist politics were a better fit. Starting with Con-Lib Yosef Aronov's election in 1988, Torah Achdus leadership reshuffled with the resignation of Wein and his Conservative-favoring clique after Aronov's inauguration. In return, a new clique focused on Con-Lib outreach and espousing an almost-purely transactional/benefits-seeking posture took over the party in February 1988 under the leadership of Nechemia Valkenburger. The Conservatives, meanwhile, termed this 'The Great Betrayal.'
While more sympathetic to the Constitutional Liberals than the Conservatives owing to the center-left party's willingness to create new government programs and subsidies, Valkenburger was aloof from either major-party, with a singular focus on creating new economic benefits and subsidies to the Chareidi community, which he felt would raise many of the sector out of poverty and would permit for widespread Torah study and keep the Chareidi world away from 'polluting' outside influences, a view he and many others believed came naturally from having to work a full-time, secular job. New, better-funded kollel and family subsidies and government largesse towards Chareidi institutions would be the chief aim of Valkenburger and his clique.
The TA and the Con-Libs were not a perfect match, however. Anti-Chareidi elements still inhabited important parts of the Chiloni-oriented party, and the TA would become the most sought-after swing vote in the Knesset over the course of the 1990s and early 2000s. The bipartisan corruption scandals of the Greenbaum and Hillel administrations also ensnared a few Chareidi politicians, including Valkenburger himself in the June 2002 scandal of Naor Hillel. Valkenburger resigned from his Knesset seat a few months after the scandal broke, and was indicted and convicted the following year, serving 4 and a half years in prison.
His protege, Feivel Lomsman, attempted to keep his mentor's transactional-first grip on the party upon taking over in late 2002, but his weak control and petty personality clashes saw him lose a leadership challenge and retire from politics in 2004. The last of the Valkenburgist Chareidi politicians, Chesky Polnitser, took over after challenging Lomsman and confronted a rising anti-Chareidi and anti-religious tide among parts of the Con-Lib base in the mid-2000s, part of a realigning trend unknown to most at the time.
By the early 2000s, there was a growing demand from an emerging clique of Chareidim politicians who felt their interests should be more ideologically driven, and that an alliance with the Conservatives, as had been in the 1970s and 1980s, was the best course for the party and the sector. Politicians such as Yitzchok Katz, Ariel Goldblatt, and Yehudis Eisenberger all belonged to this group, which increasing adopted the moniker 'New Chareidi.'
2009 New Chareidi coup
Since 2009
Organization and hierarchy
Election results and current representation
Current representation
The TA currently have 19 MKs in the Royal Knesset. It is apart of the governing majority.
Member of Knesset Moshe Lippman is the leader of the Torah Achdus caucus since 2009 and a member of the ruling "New Chareidi" clique.
Election results
| Royal Knesset | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Election | Leader | Seats won | +/− | Rank | Majority | |||
| 2020 | Moshe Lippman | 19 / 142
|
 3
|
#3 | Majority | |||
| 2018 | Moshe Lippman | 16 / 142
|
 2
|
#3 | Supply and confidence with Majority | |||
| 2016 | Moshe Lippman | 18 / 142
|
3
|
#3 | Minority | |||
| 2014 | Moshe Lippman | 15 / 142
|
1
|
#3 | Minority | |||
| 2012 | Moshe Lippman | 16 / 142
|
N/A | #3 | Majority | |||
| 2010 | Moshe Lippman | 16 / 142
|
3
|
#3 | Minority | |||
| 2008 | TBD | 13 / 142
|
1
|
#3 | Minority | |||
| 2006 | TBD | 14 / 142
|
2
|
#3 | Minority | |||
| 2004 | TBD | 12 / 142
|
TBD | #3 | Minority | |||
International affiliation and criticism
The party has no international affiliations.