Let us ask why Peretz is interviewed by hostile media outlets, when he should already know at this point that not only will they ask him about homosexuality, a pretty marginal issue for every education minister, but that is certainly what will be taken to the headline and painted it in an unflattering light.
The important and interesting topic of the affair is the place of the religious national public, perhaps the most vibrant and interesting sector in our multi-sector state, the latest social and political map.
Classical religious Zionism prided itself on being a bridge between religious and secular in a number of major issues: joint work, joint military service, Shabbat observance in the public sphere and more. The pride of religious Zionism was to find an intermediate path between the eternal demands of Israel's tradition and the changing demands of modern daily life.
But it is precisely on the most socially explosive issue today that its official leadership has a rigorous explanatory line. It should be made clear that this is only an explanatory line; This is a principle dispute, almost theoretical. Only in magnifying glass can you find practical differences between Rabbi Rafi and his friend and fellow classmate at Yeshivat Netiv Meir, MK Elazar Stern of white blue. It is not that in the more conservative parts of religious Zionism, gays are stoned, and in its more liberal parts dance on trucks in leather clothes. The argument is essentially theoretical - what should be the principle approach to the issue - and not how the guy or girl who "suffers" (or enjoys) continues to be treated in practice.
The near-zero practical implications of this discussion, especially compared to classic issues such as Sabbath and conversion or the status of women, increase the wonder around the stubborn grip of this explanatory line. What do you say about the political leadership of the religious-national sector clinging to the political platform of the "Noam" castic party, which won the last election for zero support in the sector? What does this mean about the political situation of the entire sector, which only seven years ago, under Bennett's leadership, emerged as a sector that will lead the national and state camp as a whole in the near future?
Well, not good things. The public a few years ago presented an open, smiling face, led by a rare couple, man and woman, who were very right-wing but reasoned, very traditional but liberal, and mostly clean and promising young people, today led by three figures who lead three tiny parties, and are identified with radicalism and conservatism in the sense Their unpleasant. Since we live in a world of images and images, it does not matter that the three of them - Rabbi Peretz, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smutrich - are personally pleasant and very talented people. The media ignorance to which this public leadership repeatedly goes, indicates an authentic embarrassment and a problem that the sector will have to solve if it wants to compete for the state leadership position again.