It seems the rumors are not dying down. So says a May 18th article in The Jerusalem Post. Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau is still the candidate of choice for President of the State of Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is still pushing him and it seems that despite other candidates and the fact that Rabbi Lau is not promoting himself at all, he is the odds on favorite to get the job. Although I wrote about it briefly at the time I think it needs elaboration.
So what does all this mean? After all, the presidency is a ceremonial position. It doesn’t even come close to having any power at all. As FDR's first Vice President, "Cactus" Jack Garner, said about the vice presidency, it "wasn't worth a warm pitcher of spit". The Presidency of Israel is less than that. So why care? What difference does it make?
The difference is that the President is the “face” of Israel, much like the Queen of England is the face of Great Britain. He will have the ear of the Prime Minister. He will be the “head of State” that represents the Government of Israel that in the mind of many non Jews is synonymous with the Jewish people. A Frum Jew, ...a Rav... will have unprecedented access to the highest echelons of power. He will have the ear of the Prime Minister.
What a tremendous Kiddush HaShem it would be to see a Rav with a beard, a Kapoteh and a Hamburg as President. It should put to rest once and for all the ranting of those who constantly complain that the Medina is anti-Torah. How could an anti Torah Medina choose as its President someone who so clearly represents Torah?
Of course there will always be the cynics who say that this is nothing more than a political ploy by a very clever Prime Minister to deflect exactly such criticism. They will accuse Prime Minister Olmert of trying to buy support from the Torah world for his agenda. There may be an element of truth to that. But that does not detract from the fact that Rav Lau will still be the face of Israel and Prime Minister Olmert knows that. And in no way can the Torah world be bought when it comes to supporting any part of any agenda which violates Halacha. Prime Minister Olmert knows that, too. He is not stupid.
What I believe to be the case is that Olmert respects the religious community. He had excellent relations with the Frum community when he was Mayor of Jerusalem. He also knows Rabbi Lau’s political capabilities. As the article states, “His claim to fame is for being the most successful diplomat Jewish Orthodoxy has ever had.” This is an asset essential to any individual who must represent the country to disparate elements within Israel and all over the world.
So any talk that the Medina is anti Torah ought to stop. Sure... isolated incidents of anti Torah activity can be found among various people, politicians, and venues in Israel. Sure... there may be some laws that are not in concert with Halacha. And sure... the Judiciary may not be automatically sympathetic to Torah law. But to say that Israeli political leaders are deliberately anti Torah in some sort of conspiracy is just plain wrong. They aren't. The Medina may not be Torah oriented but it is not any more anti Torah then it is anti secular values. And when Rabbi Lau ascends the “throne” ...that will show it.
