Prominent ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky told his disciples Thursday that it is preferable to side with the Arabs rather than left-wing political parties for the purpose of safeguarding Jewish tradition.
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His statement came amid the backdrop of last week's inconclusive election. In essence, Kanievsky endorsed the possibility of a right-wing religious government supported by the Arab Israeli Ra'am party.
Kanievsky explained that, unlike the Left bloc, Arab Israeli lawmakers do not aspire to "turn everyone secular," and pointed out that religious Knesset members would have an easier time cooperating with them as they share similar values when it comes to respect of religion, family, and military conscription.
The statement was publicized as Ra'am leader Mansour Abbas was addressing the Israeli public, calling for more cooperation between the Jewish and the Arab Israeli public.
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There has been speculation about the accuracy of the quote, which was published by Channel 12, due to the rabbi's age, physical condition, and lack of public statements in recent years.
i24NEWS contributed to this report
