Settler rabbi Ben-Nun backs Kadima
Longtime moderate settler Rabbi Yoel Ben-Nun announces support for centrist party
Ben-Nun's move was undertaken through the intermediation of Otniel Schneller, another settler figure who joined Kadima earlier.
"I view my support as a bridge between different parts of the nation," Ben-Nun told Olmert.
"It's very difficult for me to declare my support for a party that has designated as one of its objectives the evacuation of communities in Judea and Samaria, but I feel historical responsibility not to abandon the decision-making arena and leave it without representation for Religious Zionism," Ben-Nun told Ynet in a special interview. "I came to save whatever can be saved."
"It's very important for me to emphasize we're talking about support, not joining (Kadima)," Ben-Nun added. "Mentally, following the evacuation of Gush Katif, I cannot join such party."
However, the rabbi noted he decided to support the party because some of his Religious Zionist colleagues opted to join Kadima.
"Only this way, despite my torment, matters of religion and state will be decided jointly and not only by a secular party," he said.
Meanwhile, Schneller told Ynet Sunday evening "we're talking about one of Judaism's more distinguished, ideological figures," noting Ben-Nun has been a settler leader since the settlement enterprise's early days.
"Rabbi Ben-Nun is part of Kadima's bridge to connect our (Religious Zionist) public to the entire people of Israel," Schneller said.
Rabbi Ben-Nun, who was born in Haifa in 1946, served as a combat soldier and is married and a father of six. The rabbi lives in the West Bank but has previously voiced his objection to radicalism, violence, and military insubordination.
In 1968, Ben-Nun moved to Gush Etzion upon the establishment of a hesder yeshiva in the area. He joined the yeshiva staff and took part in developing it, while teaching various classes.
Currently, the rabbi is a doctoral candidate in Jerusalem's Hebrew university and also heads the yeshiva at religious kibbutz Ein Tzurim.
'Rabbi fell into Olmert's trap'
"Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s commitments to Rabbi Yoel Ben-Nun are Kadima’s letter of submission to the settlers,” Peace Now Director-General Yariv Oppenheimer said on Sunday.
Earlier, Ben-Nun said that Olmert assurances that the route of Israel’s security barrier will not be the final border between Israel and a future Palestinian state convinced him to support the centrist party.
“The agreement between the two proves that the acting prime minister’s intention is not a political solution but a continuation of the occupation,” Oppenheimer said.
Unlike Oppenheimer, the settlers are putting up a business-as-usual facade.
“Rabbi Ben-Nun is not an influential figure among the national-religious sector. He is a member neither of the official nor unofficial settler leadership and he withdrew himself from the general settler public years ago when he accepted the Oslo Accords and accused the national-religious public of (former prime minister Yitzhak) Rabin’s assassination,” the Yesha council said.
“Rabbi Ben-Nun weakened the spirit of the public during the evacuation of Gush Katif when he said there is no need to struggle for a decided matter. Even now he seems unconvinced of the Right’s capability to succeed, and chooses the opportunistic way of siding with the government.”
Meanwhile, National Religious Party Knesset Member Nissan said: “I am sorry to see Rabbi Yoel Ben-Nun fall into the trap set up by Olmert, and show readiness to play in Olmert’s hands by giving legitimacy to his efforts to annihilate the settlement movement.”
Only the Realistic Religious Zionist movement welcomed the move. “The brave decision by Rabbi Yoel Ben-Nun is an important step in connecting the national religious sector to the general Israeli public,” the movement said.
