In a recent message, a well-respected rabbi blasted religious Jews who see Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett as one of their own.

Shilo Institute founder Rabbi David Bar-Hayim warned his followers that just because Bennett may appear to be outwardly religious, it does not mean he is any better or that he leads with any more Biblical conviction than any of Israel’s previous leaders.

“The religious zionist world should not consider itself to have attained any great achievement,” Rabbi Bar-Hayim said. “If today we have a prime minister who wears a kippah one should add a minuscule kipah, on his head, this not should not be the definition of success for the religious zionist world.”

“In fact, it’s not part of the solution but part of the problem which is simply more of the same and in some ways even worse than that was before. This is not the solution. This is not the direction that the Jewish people should be taking and it is certainly not something that the religious zionist world should be happy to accept.”

The rabbi then called on the Jewish people to recall Elijah’s message to the Jewish people from the time of the Bible. It was on Mount Carmel where the prophet challenged the nation of Israel to choose between God and Baal:

Eliyahu approached all the people and said, “How long will you keep hopping between two opinions? If Hashem is Hashem, follow Him; and if Baal, follow him!” But the people answered him not a word.(Kings 1 18:21)

The rabbi concluded his message by saying that in contrast to the Jewish people in the days of Eliyahu who couldn’t make a decision between following Baal and God, the Jewish people today must make a choice and follow God and his Torah.

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