… and how Naftali Bennett made me politically homeless

… and probably hundreds of thousands of other voters too….

Having written yesterday about one of the multiple problems that deters me from voting for the parties of Israel’s current governing coalition, I write today to complain how Naftali Bennett has taken away the alternate option that seemed open to us, the moderate religious Zionist public.

Naftali, I was always concerned that voting for you could lead to a government coalition in which secular and anti-religious parties were empowered to roll back the religious status quo, especially concerning Shabbat.

Now you have made your position clear. Not only would you allow roll-back of Israel’s sacred Shabbat atmosphere, you personally support it.

I do believe, Naftali, with that one move, you have lost several hundred thousand possible votes.

More importantly, for the country, I believe with that move, you have closed down one of the few remaining possibilities to build unity across the religious/secular divide, to start the healing of Israel’s poisonous political polarisation that threatens the unity of the Jewish people. (Another reason I am reluctant to vote for the parties of the governing coalition – too often, these are the politicians whose words feature the highest levels of hatred and contempt).

As much as I loathe some of the things this government has done, I will not be able to vote for any party that will promote desecration of our holy Shabbat.

This is a religious imperative, but it is not only a religious imperative.

I have seen how, in the UK, the weakening of laws protecting the special atmosphere of Sundays was one of the main enablers of its descent into unbridled materialism, ethical collapse and social decay.

I have seen how those who did not want to work on Sundays were increasingly pressured to do so. (In Israel, already today, we see how this dynamic plays out in national sport, especially football).

I have seen how those who wanted to preserve their special family- and church-oriented Sunday were increasing prevented from doing so, leading to the collapse of both family and church, and with it a surge in divorce, single-parent households and youth delinquency.

I look with awe and wonder how in Israel today, not only the religious but also secular families have such strong bonds of togetherness. I compare Israel’s high rates of marriage and child-birth to the collapse seen across Europe, and think: what else can explain this except for our Sabbath.

Even if I were not religious myself, having seen what happened after the secularisation of the British Sunday, I would not vote for desecration of the Sabbath.

Is there an Israeli political party that now represents my view?