Background: Why did Rabbi Ovadia Yosef oppose referendum?

Aaron Lerner Date: 23 March 2005

Shas spiritual mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef instructed Shas Knesset members
today to vote against a referendum on the disengagement plan in the
Knesset's Law, Justice and Constitution Committee. Rabbi Yosef also told
Shas MKs to oppose a vote on a referendum in the Knesset plenum.

The official explanation for Rabbi Yosef's decision is his concern that if a
referendum is held on disengagement that it will lead to plebiscites on
sensitive religious issues.

While retreat supporters have certainly pushed this threat, Rabbi Yosef is
anything but a novice in politics. And as an expert in the Israeli
political process, Rabbi Yosef certainly is aware that national referendum
serves as an additional layer - or "check" against controversial
legislation, rather than in lieu of such legislation.

Simply put: the only way that a national referendum can be held to approve
changing draft deferments for Yeshiva students, Sabbath legislation, etc.,
is if these moves that Rabbi Yosef opposes already pass the Knesset.

A different explanation for Rabbi Yosef's moves has been offered: Iran.

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's pubic explanations for disengagement are
anything but convincing. In point of fact, Rabbi Yosef's public position on
disengagement is that it is madness.

But behind closed doors the logic of the program presented to Rabbi Yosef by
Sharon's team may very well be completely different: disengagement has
nothing to do with Israeli-Palestinian relations and everything to do with
addressing the Iranian nuclear threat. The disengagement plan, the argument
goes, plays a critical role in insuring that the United States (and perhaps
other) are both willing and able to neutralize this existential threat.

If this is in fact the case, disengagement opponents face a difficult
challenge: It is one thing to bring in ex-brass to explain the disaster
Israel will face after withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and northern
Samaria - you can show maps, rocket trajectories, etc., but what experts can
disengagement opponents send to Rabbi Yosef to counter the Iran argument - a
logic that hinges on speculation regarding the dynamics of American foreign
policy?

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il