Shinui did not cease to exist because of its success, it ceased to exist because it was a racist party based on hatred of religion. It is not that you do not make some good points of problems with the Ultra-Orthodox community - there are many problems, but unless you have a party that wants to make changes for the good of all Jews instead of changes to take a swipe at the orthodox, you will continue to fail.

Any decent citizen that cares about their country and dosent want to be dragged in to a state based on Teliban prinicples should vote Shas out. What Shas has done to this country in unaccepatable. They not only encite violence towards gay people but they deny others their freedom and democracy. And all this from a party that includes 5 convicted criminals. Enough of their wicked hatred and finanical blackmail. The days when Eli Yishai can spew his venom and extort the public for money are coming to an end.

I couldn't agree more with Lapid on this one. Shas has done it to us again. It seems extortion is Shas's forte! And it seems Olmert is more that happy to bribe them endlessly as long as they don't bolt from his govt. When will we learn?

And if this new 'Shinui' will come up with a decent security policy vis-a-vis the Palestinians, it'll get my vote. Not that I particularly liked the old Shinui, but there is nothing else to vote for. Enough with orthodox greed, although I disagree with Lapid on one thing: the Haredim are not to blame for sucking out every single shekel possible from the state and strengthening their influence over all spheres of public life. The non-Orthodox majority, and especially our failed and corrupt political system, is to blame for letting them! The Orthodox have to learn modesty again, but secular people can learn from them about how to defend their interests. We simply forgot how to do that, if we ever knew at all. With orthodox exemptions from serving the state and a hysterical messianic settler movement that too mainly serves its own 'interests' we have created 2 monsters, that now come back to haunt us. If we don't curb them, it is only a matter of time before Israel is finished. And I for one am not willing to let that happen. We only have one state. Let's try to take care of it in the best possible way, so that it can take care of all of us too. Now we wait for all the talkbacks about the blind and/or evil anti-Jewish self-hating seculars who are the source of all of Israel's problems. Let me just reply in advance by stating that extremist religious zealotry has even less to do with Judaism than secular Israeli culture.

Shinui people don't hate Orthodox. Get real! They hate Judaism period! They don't care if it's a knitted kipa or a black kipa. Some of their biggest players wrote the most vile things over and over again about religious Jews. But of course, it's ok that all the money wasted on saving the leftist kibbutzim over the years was ok. All the money going to leftist courts and leftist controlled state media is all ok. Of course all the secularists who don't serve from Tel Aviv Yair can't see. Yair you're wrong as usual but hey, you got your job through 'Protectia' so what's a little yellow journalism between friends?

I was against Shinui because it was purely negative without providing an answer. Yes we must be one nation; we must also demand that in order to receive abundant rights you have to fulfil your debt to society but that debt to society must be paid by all sectors - the ultra left as well as the orthodox.

Can't Jews want to live as Jews in one place on earth.

we need a secular anti-Arab party. Shas and the rest of the Orthodox thieves mascarade as Zionist, a.k.a. anti-Arab, but they are not. If the new Shas will be truly Zionist, pro-Israel, pro-Jerusalem, pro-freedom, and most importantly anti-Arab, I'm in!

I don't have a problem with religious peope, they can pray as much as they want but STAY OUT OF MY LIFE (and pocket)!

and stop the religious corruption.

Shame on you, Lapid jr. Why ? Because you are missing the point, deliberately ! Shass party is clever enough to take advantage of Olmert's hugs, your father's best friend, the one your father defended in spite of all the failures and corruption allegations ! Olmert's survival needs are the true reason for Shass demands ! Please don't play the naive ! I guess U R not that stupid .

What an ugly attack on the Charedim. Not an ounce of truth, and bordering on racism. Would you print an article intitled' "The stupid secular are destroying Israel"?

as they were in the last when they disappeared.

Dear JM in Beit Shemesh, as a gay man we have been the victims of a malicious hate campaign by the Shas party, who have been inciting violence towards their fellow jews (being gay) , also as a fgay ather of 2 daughters i am denied my basic human rights. I serve in the IDF and yet these orthadox continue to bite the hand that feeds them. SO this time they went to far, enough is enough.

WHO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JEWISH CUSTOMS AND COSTUMES AND FOLLOWING NEW FOREIGN IDEOLOGIES, TOTALLY FOREIGN TO TORAH AND TO WHAT OUR FOREFATHERS HAVE DONE FOR OVWR 3,500 YEARS, LIKE WEARING BLACK (see the Tannaim, Rishonim like Rabbenu Bachye and Acharonim like the Ben ISh Chai)

ORTHODOX JEWS ARE THE WORST ISRAILI'S AND JEWISH PROBLEM. I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MANAGE THIS HUGE PROBLEM, THE STATE OF ISRAEL HAS TO BE LIBERATE FROM THE ORTHODOX PERMANENT OBSTRUCTION. ISRAEL DESERVE A BETTER LIFE WITHOUT THOSE WHO SONT BELIVE IN TOELRANCE AND INCLUSIVENESS

Dear Yair Lapid: People with white beards who study the Torah don’t live at your expense: We, all the jewish people, live at their expense. If not for their Torah, our People would not have a continuity and in 2 o 3 generations, nobody would even remember why Eretz Israel belongs to the Jewish People. Without Torah study, the world would go back to tohu vavohu. So, before issuing an opinion, you and all those "angry people" should learn a little about what Judaism is all about. Why don't you study? A warm shalom and kol tub to you, Marta Buenos Aires Argentina P.D. If my health and the Almighty allow me, I plan to make aliah soon with muy husband. My married daughters live in Israel.

a Religious person who is offended that your idea that all jews just get along is broken down. If the chareidim weren't jumping down our throat we wouldn't have to deal with all these problems. Why don't you come to Israel and then you can really see how the charedim abuse the system.

The Arabs are growing and sucking you dry while at the same time working to kill y'all. Get a grip and stop behaving like a bunch of fools

My vote is yours.

Despite the words of the bible, there should be a human jewish interpretation that comes to the conclusion that homosexuality isn't a problem. Its needed, and it surely would be or should be in line with other common jewish values.

Shinui wasn't rejected due to its anti-orthodox ideology, it was rejected because Shinui MKs were a bunch of pathetic sell-outs who didn't accomplish what they promised to. They were sitting in the coalition with Shas and quietly voting in yeshiva funding as they ranted and raved about hareidi draft dodgers to the public. What can I say, Yair, the public isn't as stupid as your father thought.

Just what we need. And instead of looking at the real problem, which is our dysfunctional political system, Lapid would like to find a convenient scapegoat. Why don't you call for a political party with a platform of political reform? This is the result of coalition politics. It is the result of party lists instead of district representation. I am a secular, non-observant Jew who believes generally in a separation of religion from the state. But that does not mean I would like to see an anti-Jewish, anti-Judaism political party of secular extremists. Personally, I think religion would benefit from such a separation. I abhor the religious hypocrites from Shas - but their blackmail is the result of sleezy political deals made by supposedly secular politicians who care little for the national interest. And, this irresponsibility is due to a lack of accountability - if the individual MK's were accountable to a specific electorate, they would think twice about such deals. I think most Israelis, including secular Jews, would like some Jewish content & tradition in our Jewish country, not an imitation Europe or America. I think that's why we're here.

If you want real change then support Feiglin and his Manhigut www.JewishIsrael.org .Then we won,t need religous parties we will just have a real Jewish State for all Jews and the fringe Shinuites can go crawl back in their holes and stop agitating Jew aganist Jew.

we need to set up a worldwide coalition to fight religious zealots !!! Pls, write to me, I am eager to make it work, we normal jews should unite against those lousy haredim

Oh Marta, Shut up, we are tired also in Buenos Aires, of those black hats. Stop the haredim from interfering with NORMAL JEWS LIFE !!! you go to study torah

I often enjoy Yair Lapid's articles but this one misses the point completely. The people that voted for Shas in the last elections will vote for Shas in the next elections and the ones that didn't won't. The vast majority will vote for Bibi, Liberman and Benny Elon etc. Labor will get 7-8 seats, Metetz and the Pensioners won't pass the threshold and Kadima might get 7-8 if it gets rid of Olmert. Mike