So that the readers understand what's going on, I will preface my remarks with some pertinent facts.
Rav Auerbach's party is the "Bnei Torah" and his newspaper is "Hapeles"
Now that we got that out of the way, let's get down to business.
Rabbe Auerbach has decided that Achdus is not in his vocabulary and will not learn from the Arab Parties that united under one "flag".
He wants to continue his policy of having everyone in Kollell and having Chilonim support them. He ignores the now proven facts that Kollel guys can no longer be supported forever...
and that there is now a tremendous backlash against supporting people that refuse to work.
There was an article in last week's Hebrew Mishpacha that poverty in the Chareidie Community is through the roof, and getting worse .... but nowhere in the article did anyone suggest that anyone ought to work for a living.
I am all for learning, if they are supported, but to learn forever with no cheshbon is a road to catastrophe..
Blaming the Zionists that supported them, without questions, until last year, no longer gets any sympathy from anyone...
Most people that I talk to...were in shock that the Zionists were supporting Torah all these years, without Kollell guys giving them the proverbial "thank you"
but now that they withdrew most of the support, they scream "rashaim"
Nobody is listening to that anymore...
He is also adamantly against anyone reporting for the draft, which flies in the face of the Shteinman/ Kanievsky psak that everyone should report for the draft but not serve..
At present it appears Yahadut Hatorah will be losing the votes of the split-off Bnei Torah party in the upcoming elections.
According to a column in the erev Shabbos Parshas Bo Bnei Torah-affiliated HaPeles newspaper,
the decision has been made not to back Yahadut Hatorah. The newspaper cites a decision from 40 years ago when the litvish community did not back the only chareidi party at the time, Agudas Yisrael.
Persons affiliated with the party explain such a column would not have appeared in the newspaper without prior approval of HaGaon HaRav Shmuel Auerbach Shlita.
The newspaper explains the obligation to vote on Election Day is not automatic but subject to the decision of Gedolei Yisrael with each election being its own entity. “ככל אשר יורוהו, יעשה; וכלעוד לא יורוהו – אינו מצווה ואינו עושה”!
The newspaper reminds readers of the elections that were held in Teves 5734 when HaGaon Maran Rav Shach ZT”L and the Steipler ZT”L who always favored voting refrained from doing so and would not sign a kol korei that year and bnei torah refrained from voting as a result.
HaPeles quotes the words of the Steipler saying “כמתן הכשר בדיעבד על כל תעלוליהם”, voting would be tantamount to a b’dieved approval of the party and this is unacceptable.
The column begins detailing the faults of the party in the outgoing Knesset, citing even Agudas Yisrael is no longer true to its own mission of “וייעשו כולם אגודה אחת”.
The newspaper then condemns the position taken on the chareidi draft, citing the approach that was adopted are “naive and conciliatory approach that reflects criminal negligence”.
