"I fell into the political field," says Yitzhak Goldknopf.
"I had many plans in my life, not one of them was related to politics. I have plans in my educational ventures, I am in a different world. I have never been on the list of names that came up to replace Litzman."
then what happens?
"On Rosh Chodesh Sivan, I came with my grandson to the rebbe (the rebbe of Gor, the Hasidism to which Goldknopf belongs, Yash) at five in the evening to receive a blessing for the grandson for the Bar Mitzvah.
The rabbi tells me, 'Come back to me in the evening.'"
Did you know what he wanted to tell you?
"No. I am called to him many times, sometimes for education matters, sometimes for Shabbat matters. I thought it was something like that. Certainly not politics. I came at eight in the evening, entered his cabinet, the room where he holds meetings. He closed the door and told me, 'Tomorrow Litzman will inform that he is retiring and I have decided that you will be in his place and represent ultra-orthodox Judaism, and I bless you that you will succeed.''
what did you say?
"One word - I am."
Did you want politics?
"Never. I never dreamed of such a thing at all. Yaakov Litzman came to me two weeks before and told me, 'You will be a member of the Knesset'. I laughed."
Litzman.
"He came to me two weeks before and told me, 'You will be a member of the Knesset,'" Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
Working in the Knesset is hard, long hours. filibusters at night. This is for you?
"I live at night. I think that a young person should not be in the Knesset. I think that young people should stay away from the Knesset. Enter only after the age of 50 - then people are much calmer, settled, understand things differently."
And yet, it is hard work.
"This is hard work?! Do you know what they do in educational institutions? Do you know what the life of a director of an educational institution is like? - it's from morning to night."
Do you think you are suitable for the position of party chairman?
"Yes".
Your first meeting with the heads of the parties was with Netanyahu, how was it?
"His people say that when Netanyahu is called 'Goldknopf' he smiles."
Maybe because he perceives you as a likable sabaal'a and not a tough politician?
"For years, they say that I'm tough, that I lead wars and boycotts. When I was appointed to the position, someone wrote in the newspaper, 'You'll still miss Litzman.'
What did you talk about with Netanyahu?
"I told him that I intend to attack the rights of the children of Israel, that they will receive buildings and classrooms and not learn in dumpsters and shelters, and also attack the rights of the teaching staff to receive equal pay as in state education."
"Netanyahu committed to us"
and what did he say?
"He pledged that a child in the ultra-Orthodox education system will not be equal to a child in the state education system."
Even without studying core studies?
"The ultra-orthodox child studies core studies".
Does your core include English and math?
"Who decides what a core is? You decide? Some people came who decided they were the sovereign of the State of Israel and they decided what a core is. What kind of core is there in a kindergarten? The cubes are not the same cubes? The plasticine is not the same plasticine? The ultra-Orthodox know what they are doing, let the ultra-Orthodox live his life. Why does the state get involved in this?"
Benny Gantz says he will give funds to institutions that will introduce a core, is this a solution?
"Who is the state? Lapid talks about two peoples, but in fact there are already two peoples here, ultra-Orthodox and secular. What do you mean they won't give me a budget? Who gives and who receives? Enough, it's over. There is no more giving and no receiving. Everyone is equal. It's impossible That my child will study in a shelter and a child in my kingdom will study in a school. The phrase 'I give' will be erased from the Jewish map."
And what will happen to all those students who don't study English and math in another 20 years?
"I'm already at the age where I've seen these 'twenty years' three times. I see that things are getting along. I didn't see that the data at the institutions where you study core are such good data."
"In the end they will get along" students at an ultra-orthodox school, photo: Oren Ben Hakon
want to say?
"Those who came up with the idea of the core studies cannot take ownership of the entire education system in the State of Israel. We need to consult with the various schools and currents. What is appropriate for my state is not necessarily appropriate for the ultra-Orthodox, what is appropriate for the ultra-Orthodox is not appropriate for the religious, etc. Arithmetic and English are the core, but let's sit down and think about what a core is. Let's sit down and plan what needs to be studied."
Then they go out into the job market and get stuck because they don't know how to send an email.
"I know how to send an e-mail and I didn't learn the core. I know a little bit of letters, a little bit of speech. I learned it at the age of 50. We get along. Do you know how many things the children in state education don't know? Do you want to compete with that? When our children have to go to work, they will know how to send an e-mail."
"Like in the days of King David"
If Netanyahu does not have 61, what can Lapid or Gantz promise you so that you will come with them?
"If they give me a blank page - I write that I want to correct the injustices of the last government. I demand that they stop giving kicks (metaphorically, Yash) to ultra-Orthodox women, affordable housing, treatment of the cost of living, the Western Wall without reformers.
Traveling to Miron properly, without an ambush on the way and sending thousands of people back.
Do not grab children at demonstrations and beat them until they bleed.
A health system as it should be, disposable tools for anyone who wants to compare the conditions of education to state education."
And if they tell you that you will receive everything, but you will give public transportation on Shabbat?
"It's against the law."
Litzman: "If there are new elections - I will not run for the Knesset again" // Archive photo: Knesset Channel
If they follow your demands, do you go with Gantz or Lapid?
"They would like to. I do know that they will be ready to give everything and more. They have already given 53 billion shekels to the Arabs. How Bibi told me, 'Now I know that you can put your hand deep. They worked on me too'. We had a good talk about this matter."
So is Gantz relevant?
"In the group that Gantz presents, we sit with Lieberman. Who invented this thing? That I would be close to him? That they would put me in a wheelbarrow? Shame and shame that a Jew speaks like that. He said of Netanyahu that he is Goebbels and Stalin. A minister of the State of Israel talks like that about who was prime minister? With whom do you want Shall I sit? Is that why I went to the Knesset? Of course not."
Who else can't you sit with? What about Gilad Kriv from work?
"He is a reformist, he denies the Torah of Israel. I have no business with him. I will not sit with him. There is nothing to talk about. Even with Matan Kahana, I do not know if it is possible to sit. He destroyed kashrut."
"He is a reformist, he denies the Torah of Israel. I have nothing to do with him" MK Karib, photo: Koko
But you don't eat rabbinical kosher anyway.
"So what"?
Do you eat rabbinical kosher?
"No".
So what do you care what he did in the rabbinate?
"They agreed that there is a rabbinate in the State of Israel."
But you don't trust her.
"That's fine. There are those who don't eat rabbinate food but know that Shabbat, holidays, and Hanukkah are necessary. Kahana tattooed the rabbinate's kosher."
But most of the ultra-Orthodox are not clients of the rabbinate at all.
"It really doesn't matter, I held that the rabbinical system should be institutionalized. There should be a rabbinate for the people of Israel even if I eat kosher from another rabbi."
When Lapid would pass by Litzman, he didn't say hello to him and made a movement with his shoulder to remove dirt. What will you do when you see him?
"Everyone and how they decide to exclude a person they don't want near them."
Say hello to him?
"I will follow my own method."
what is your method
"I will not invite his wife to dance at my wedding."
And what will you do when you meet him in the Knesset?
"I won't shake his hand or say hello to him. I tell him, 'I'm asking you, I don't want to hurt a Jew, but we're not friends.'"
You were quoted as saying you want to be finance minister.
"I said that if Lieberman with six mandates got the Ministry of Finance, there is no reason why I wouldn't accept him with more mandates. But I don't know if I will. Maybe the Housing Ministry, maybe the Health Ministry. I don't want to be the Minister of Justice or the Minister of Education."
Where will the ultra-Orthodox public be in thirty years?
"Running the State of Israel. And you will enjoy every moment."
What will it look like?
"The ultra-Orthodox public will support the people of Israel, that's something. Like in the days of King David and Solomon, who wanted it to be good for the people. Government ministries will want to support the public."
How will it look in Israel when you will be the majority here?
"Everything will be fine. We are an excellent manager. We will bring money, and industry. Cheering is above all."
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