Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the Chief Rabbi of Safed and father of Minister Amichai Eliyahu, spoke out today against voting for parties belonging to the right-wing bloc that have particularly low chances of crossing the electoral threshold.
In a published recording, Rabbi Eliyahu addressed the potential significance of every vote in the elections, warning that voting for a party that fails to cross the electoral threshold could affect the identity of the next prime minister and the composition of the coalition.
"We need to think about a situation in which there is one vote, and that vote is what decides between Eisenkot as prime minister and Bibi as prime minister. Between evacuating communities and building communities, between nine left-wing judges on the Supreme Court and nine right-wing judges on the Supreme Court," the rabbi said.
Rabbi Eliyahu went on to emphasize the responsibility borne by every voter and the potential consequences of their choice at the ballot box.
"A person can bring about a situation in which there are nine Supreme Court justices who will say all the terrible and foolish things in the world, or nine other justices," he said.
The rabbi continued by explaining that every individual should regard their vote as though it could determine the outcome of the elections.
"Therefore, every person who has the power to decide the elections must be told: Listen, my friend, you are the one deciding. You need to understand what you are doing with your vote. You are deciding between Bibi and Eisenkot."
Rabbi Eliyahu even used an unusual example to illustrate his position:
"The situation is so serious that even if a prophet comes and tells you, 'Do this,' you tell him, 'No. I will not do that.'"
Despite his emphatic remarks, Rabbi Eliyahu refrained from naming any right-wing parties that are polling below the electoral threshold, focusing instead on the general message about the importance of voting for parties with a realistic chance of entering the Knesset.