Some 20,000-30,000 ultra-Orthodox will boycott the election and not vote for any party, after a statement was issued on behalf of Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, leader of the Lithuanian branch of Ashkenazi ultra-Orthodox Israeli, saying “there is no instruction or recommendation to vote in this election for any party in the world, and there is no intention to issue such an instruction. Any word saying there was or will be – is a lie.”
His lack of support for a specified party is commonly understood to be a recommendation not to vote at all.
Leader of the Yachad political party Eli Yishai on his campaign tour, March 08, 2015. (photo credit: Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)
On Sunday, NRG reports, it became known that Auerbach was planning to boycott United Torah Judaism, but close associates of the rabbi said he was considering supporting Eli Yishai’s Yachad party.
Despite this, some members of the community may decide to vote for either Yachad or Shas, but most are likely to refrain from voting. Sources close to Auerbach said he will stay home tomorrow. Today’s statement may mean that United Torah Judaism and Yachad may lose up to a Knesset seat each. This is particularly critical for Yachad, which is polling near the electoral threshold. Losing a seat would mean the party does not make it into the next Knesset.
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