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Hirsh Goodman: Wallowing in It
Hirsh Goodman


Can you imagine someone claiming to represent the poor, sitting and stuffing his guests and himself with hundreds of dollarsa day in room service charges?

Israel's largest daily, Yediot Aharonot, published an investigative piece September 30 that documents how our Religious Affairs minister, Rabbi Asher Ohana, managed to spend over $4,000 in taxpayers� money for five days at the Tel Aviv Hilton, including substantial amounts on room service and video rental. The minister�s media adviser explained on radio that same morning that the minister, as all who know him could testify, "is totally dedicated to serving God and devotes himself totally, completely, selflessly and humbly, to serving the cause of the Jewish people."

The minister, he went on, "for reasons of modesty," does not have a Tel Aviv office, so he has to use a hotel. He has to meet with dozens of people from all around Tel Aviv, like Rehovot and Rishon Letzion, who wanted mikvahs and new synagogues and other religious services, said the spokesman, and, of course, when you have guests you need to be hospitable, so what�s the big deal? (That Jerusalem, where the minister has more than adequate offices, is an hour away from Tel Aviv, and is as easily reached from Rishon and Rehovot, seems to have escaped him, as did the moral aspects of the indulgence, in which he could see no wrong.) As for the video rental, that was probably the minister�s driver or bodyguard, said the spokesman, who never went on to explain what gives either one the right to spend one cent of taxpayers� money on their private entertainment. We all know what videos are rented out at hotels.

Ohana is not the only politician to spend needless nights at hotels at the public�s expense or to be insensitive to the country�s current plight as it faces the biggest economic crisis in its history. But what makes his case particularly unpalatable is that in addition to being guilty of bad judgment and moral turpitude, he is, not unlike many other politicians, but only more so, a cynical hypocrite as well.

Ohana is from Shas, a party that proudly represents the downtrodden, the weak and the destitute. Despite the horrendous consequences of Israel not having a budget at a time its credit rating is under international reassessment and the entire economy is under threat of collapse, Shas has announced that it will vote against the Finance Minister�s proposed budget in the Knesset next month. They claim that the proposed budget is draconian, hits the poor, takes away social services and makes life difficult for the unemployed, a significant chunk of its constituency.

Shas is also a religious party that teaches piety, humility and values, none of which Ohana displayed when dishing out the greenbacks at the Hilton in the five days he wallowed there at the taxpayers� expense. Can you imagine someone claiming to represent the poor, sitting and stuffing his guests and himself with hundreds of dollars a day in room service charges? How does one say "no" to a mikvah, claiming you have no funds, while serving the head of the Rehovot religious council petits fours and tea in your suite at the Hilton?

Unfortunately, Ohana, seems to represent more the rule than the exception in Israeli politics today. Something corrupt has happened, particularly over the last decade, in which politicians are in the business totally for themselves, not the country and not even the party. The insensitivity of the Knesset and the government to current realities is stunning. Despite the demonstrations of the underprivileged, the unemployed, the disabled, the discriminated against and the homeless that take place on the Knesset�s doorstep almost every day, the members recently voted to buy themselves new cars, increase their salaries and increase their perks. The cabinet we have is the largest in Israel�s history. This may be good for Ariel Sharon�s longevity as prime minister but is costing untold millions in spokesmen, personal assistants, cars, drivers and perks, including for those ministers and deputy ministers who have no portfolios, in other words, no jobs at all.

Shas is a problematic party and the behavior of its leadership is troubling. The rhetoric of its leadership, from Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, the party�s spiritual head, and down is often racist, with Arabs being called bugs and lice. It is also undemocratic, its constituents recently being told by Yosef that going to a civil court to settle differences is worse than eating pig.

Asher Ohana, who is a rabbi and strictly kosher, did not eat pig at the Hilton (which is also strictly kosher). But as my Bobba would have said, it certainly looks like he behaved like a "hazer".

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