By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Joseph Gutnick, who once threw his financial weight to elect a young leader named Benjamin Netanyahu, is now setting his eyes on another young and popular Israeli politician.
Gutnick, a Lubavitcher chossid and a mining industry entrepreneur, said in an interview with the Jerusalem Post that he sees Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked as a worthy candidate to succeed Netanyahu whenever he leaves office.
“I am very happy to endorse her to be Bibi’s heir,” Gutnick said, following a national poll finding’s that if elections were held today and Shaked changed parties to head the Likud, she would win 33 seats, the same as Netanyahu would win.
Shaked is a member of the religious right party Habayit Yehudi (The Jewish Home). Identifying as a secular politician, Shaked is considered one of Israel’s most active and influential legislators. Haaretz newspaper said, “she is poised to be Israel’s most successful female Israeli politician since Golda Meir.”
Gutnick told Gil Hoffman of the Jerusalem Post that he has been advising Shaked to join Likud. Gutnick called on Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett not to “be selfish” and “encourage Shaked for the sake of shleimus ha’aretz (maintaining all of the Land of Israel) and the Jewish world.
While Gutnick said he pledged his resources to her success, his financial ability has been diminished since sponsoring the Chabad-led campaign in 1996 to elect Netanyahu over Shimon Peres.
Gutnick, who once had a fortune of about $300 million, has declared bankruptcy in July 2016 and reportedly owes creditors more than $275.5 million. In a court filing, he said he now earns a mere $45,000 a year at family-controlled business.
The Jerusalem Post reported that Gutnick has maintained a close relationship with Netanyahu, who sent him a letter a few days ago thanking him for his enduring support and friendship.
It seems to me Bennet is the strongest there and the best
Yes u are absolutely correct Yossel got a Bracha from the Rebbe for extreme major big wealth & that Bracha doesn’t go away ever, Yossel BEH is gona be even way wealthier than he was before, & be able to donate even greater than then, yes we should be respectful he was the Rebbe’s wealthiest Lubavitcher donor
Chabad should do what Chabad does best spreading Torah and the rest will take care of itself!
Yossel was worth over 2.5 Billion, he still is a very wealthy man it’s just not as much as he was before
1. Backing political candidates?
2 Women in politics?
What happened to:
1. The Rebbe’s campaign for who is a Jew?
2. The Rebbe’s insistence on annexing Yehuda and Shomron?
Because there’s no point in backing someone who has no chance of winning.
It almost like saying back me for prime minister, cause I’ll kick all “palastinians” out of Israel, and in to some new “palastine”…
the last election campaign in the name of Chabad worked out great thanks for taking 97.3 % of chevron from us lets stick to the Rebes orders
The article really should mention that Shaked has said she will not attempt to skip bennet.
_she told Israelis that just as there are restrictions on passing on the road, you don’t pass others in politics: “After the Netanyahu era, Bennett must be prime minister.”_
Shaked is very popular and has a legitimate chance of winning. Feiglan has good ideas, but it’s hard to imagine he will win the likud, let alone become Prime Minister.
I agree with # 1. Moshe Feiglin will provide the leadership that Israel needs. Shaked waffles just the way Bibi does and should not become prime minister — unless, of course, you want more of the same…betrayals of settlements, inadequate response to the fire kites and balloons, and backing a “two state solution.” Moshe Feiglin and the Zehut Party believe in only one state in Eretz Yisrael and that is the Jewish State. The Land belongs to the Jewish People, only to the Jewish People.
Yossel is no longer bankrupt it was annulled he was the Rebbes emissary and will do better than ever PG and they should have a little respect he will be soon very very rich respect please
His consent is as good as mine.
I’m stunned and horrified. Shaked is twisted and will lead us to be more hated than ever. Very sad.
And why is he relevant in any way for anything, anymore?
If he is interested in shleimus haaretz why not back moshe feiglin and his party zehut who actually have a plan of annexing yehuda and shomron and encouraging arabs to emigrate from Israel including by paying them. I think he can be trusted more than ayelet shaked to do the right thing for shleimus haaretz and the security of israel.