The full letter
In view of the elections this coming Monday March 2/6 Adar, Maranan verabonon the members of the Moetzes Gedolei Yisrael of Degel HaTorah led by Maran Sar HaTorah HaRav Chaim Kanievsky and Maran Rosh Hayeshiva HaRav Gershon Edelstein have issued a general call to support and vote for the United Torah Judaism and Shabbos party. Its highlights include:
To our chareidi brethren throughout Eretz Yisrael, we appeal to you, during these days, seeing that a grave danger hovers over us whereby there is great incitement against the public, against yeshiva students and avreichim engaged in Torah study, and against anything sacred. They seek to desecrate Shabbos in public and make decrees against our chinuch, kashrus and against conversion.
Due to this, there is a tremendous obligation to vote for the United Torah and Shabbos List whose letter at the polls is Gimmel, for in this way we sanctify Hashem's name and declare that Hashem is our G-d, Moshe['s teaching] is true and his Torah is true. This is the opportunity for each and every one to once again sanctify Hashem's Name.
In these elections, we are faced with people who seek to uproot every vestige of Kedusha from the dwellers in Eretz Yisrael, and wage difficult battles to thwart our Torah-true public so that they will not be able to live their lives according to Torah and Halacha chas vesholom. The way that we can prevent them from succeeding in their nefarious plans is to vote for the Torah Jewry List-Agudath Israel whose poll letter is Gimmel.
We are therefore issuing a sacred call to every single one of our brothers from all ethnic communities and circles to come to the aid of our people with full force and fervor to work for it and enlist others to do so for the success of this list whose symbol is Gimmel, to increase our victory in the Knesset. This is the only list which we endorse for it includes everything within it.
Perish the thought that anyone shirks this obligation, for whoever desists from voting is thereby aiding and abetting the wicked ones. How will he answer for himself on the day of reckoning? We guarantee that whoever will work to increase voters for the Torah List will be rewarded with Heavenly assistance, and thus we will hopefully succeed in this critical battle for the sake of our Torah and the sake of the sanctity of the Jewish people, so that we will be able to live our lives and raise our children in this Holy Land in the way of Torah and Kedusha.
We pray to Hashem Yisborach that those who work for and those who vote for Gimmel will merit offspring, a good life and sustenance and all that is good, from the source of all bounty, and May Hashem desire to grant us success in increasing Torah and augmenting it, and may we speedily be saved with the salvation of worlds, Amen, so be it His will.
[signed]
Chaim Kanievsky
Gershon Edelstein
Yitzchok Sheiner
Boruch Mordechai Ezrachi
Meir Tzvi Bergman
Boruch Dov Povarksy
Moshe Hillel Hirsch
Moshe Yehuda Schlesinger
Yitzchok Zilberstein
Yehuda Ades
David Cohen
