God wins landslide vote of confidence in Knesset

The increasing exclusion of women, the prohibition against women sitting next to men on buses, the order that women from Haredi neighborhoods walk on separate sidewalks, the refusal of religious soldiers to listen to women soldiers singing – all of these things spurred us to see whether our elected officials believe in God or not.

We asked all 120 members of Knesset, including the prime minister, the ministers and the deputy ministers one identical question: Do you believe in God? Although this would appear to be a simple question, the MKs – or at least some of them – had a very hard time answering it.

Here are some examples. MK Anastassia Michaeli (Yisrael Beitenu) needed an entire week in order to reply. The MK, who is a convert to Judaism, deliberated a great deal over her answer, and finally said, “I don’t want to promote the subject of faith and religion, but rather the quality of the environment.”

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Deputy Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) was not quick to answer either. After four days and quite a few telephone calls to both her and her assistant, she gave a lengthy answer.

Several MKs said that it was a complex question and asked for time to craft their answers. Labor Party Chairwoman MK Shelly Yachimovich, for example, did just that when she gave a well-reasoned response. Her fellow faction member, MK Raleb Majadele, answered immediately but then telephoned a second time, seeking to improve on his answer.

Quite a few MKs gave their answer a philosophical tone. Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz, who has a doctorate in philosophy, said, “This is not a question of faith at all. I invite anyone who wants to know the meaning of these proofs to read my book.” MK Einat Wilf (Labor) said, “God did not create human beings. Human beings are the ones who created God.”

Other MKs tried to be poetic. The most prominent example was MK Daniel Ben Simon (Labor), who spoke frankly about a lack of communication followed by buds of reconciliation with God. MK Ilan Gilon of Meretz quoted an excerpt from a poem by Shaul Tchernikovsky, and Deputy Minister Ayoob Kara (Likud) said that he visits the tomb of Jethro once a month.

Religious ministers and MKs had no problem. They said yes right away. MK Chaim Amsellem even recounted a conversation about faith that took place between a rabbi and his students.

On the other side of the spectrum, while several non-religious MKs had no problem saying that they did not believe in God, in the middle was a fairly large group of MKs who were concerned mainly with how their answers would look to their voters. Therefore, they tried to avoid the question, and when they finally agreed to answer, they gave an evasive answer. Among these were MK Dalia Itzik (Kadima), who answered, “I trust the God I believe in” and MK Fania Kirshenbaum (Yisrael Beitenu), who said, “I believe in a higher power.”

Some MKs refused to play along, claiming that this was a highly personal matter. Some MKs, such as Ehud Barak, Avigdor Lieberman, Limor Livnat, Dan Meridor and Matan Vilnai, said that they never participated in polls.

Others, such as Minister Benny Begin, refused to answer.

In all, 85 MKs answered that they believed in God or a higher power, five answered in the negative, 21 refused to answer and nine gave clever answers (for example, that they believed in the Shekhina, the feminine representation of the Divine Presence in Jewish mysticism).

Believers (81):

Doron Avital (Kadima), Nino Abesadze (Kadima), Yuli Edelstein (Likud), Jacob Edery (Kadima), Yitzhak Aharonovich (Yisrael Beitenu), Uri Orbach (New National Religious Party), Zevulun Orlev (New National Religious Party), David Azoulay (Shas), Ariel Atias (Shas), Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism), Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beitenu), Arieh Eldad (National Union), Talab El-Sana (Ra’am-Ta’al), Zeev Elkin (Likud), Eli Aflalo (Kadima), Ophir Akunis (Likud), Gilad Erdan (Likud), Uri Ariel (National Union), Arie Bibi (Kadima), Zeev Bielski (Kadima), Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), Michael Ben Ari (National Union), Avishay Braverman (Labor), Gila Gamliel (Likud), Masud Ganaim (Ra’am-Ta’al), Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Avi Dichter (Kadima), Danny Danon (Likud), Isaac Herzog (Labor), Daniel Hershkowitz (The New National Religious Party), Majalli Whbee (Kadima), Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas), Nissim Zeev (Shas), Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), Yoel Hasson (Kadima), Israel Hasson (Kadima), Ahmad Tibi (Ra’am-Ta’al), Robert Tiviaiev (Kadima), Eli Yishai (Shas), Eitan Cabel (Labor), Amnon Cohen (Shas), Yitzhak Cohen (Shas), Moshe Kahlon (Likud), Yaakov Katz (National Union), Tzipi Livni (Kadima), Yariv Levin (Likud), Orly Levi-Abekasis (Yisrael Beitenu), Yakov Litzman (United Torah Judaism), Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu), Raleb Majadele (Labor), Menachem Eliezer Moses (United Torah Judaism), Shaul Mofaz (Kadima), Moshe Matalon (Yisrael Beitenu), Avraham Michaeli (Shas), Stas Misezhnikov (Yisrael Beitenu), Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism), Yaakov Margi (Shas), Meshulam Nahari (Shas), Orit Noked (Ha’atzmaut), Lea Nass (Likud), Gidon Sa’ar (Likud), Hamad Amar (Yisrael Beitenu), Zion Pinyan (Likud), Yossi Peled (Likud), Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud), Hanna Swaid (Hadash), Amir Peretz (Labor), Ibrahim Sarsur (Ra’am-Ta’al), Miri Regev (Likud), David Rotem (Yisrael Beitenu), Reuven Rivlin (Likud), Carmel Shama Hacohen (Likud), Meir Sheetrit (Kadima), Silvan Shalom (Likud), Shalom Simhon (Ha’atzmaut), Lia Shemtov (Yisrael Beitenu), Yulia Shamalov Berkovich (Kadima), Otniel Schneller (Kadima), Ronit Tirosh (Kadima).

Chaim Amsellem (Shas) – Once upon a time, a great rabbi asked his students: “Where can the Creator of the World be found-” Some said “In Heaven,” while others said, “Everywhere.” But the rabbi said: God can be found wherever He is allowed to enter.

Yuval Steinitz (Likud) – I know that there is a God because there is logical and philosophical proof of it. It is not a question of faith at all. I invite anyone who wishes to know the meaning of these proofs to read my book, "A Scientific-Logical Rocket to God and Back."

Believers in a higher power (4)

Orit Zuaretz (Kadima), Fania Kirshenbaum (Yisrael Beitenu), Marina Solodkin (Kadima), Ayoub Kara (Likud)

Ayoub Kara – The older I get and the higher up in the government hierarchy I go, the more I feel a need to identify with a higher power. I visit the tomb of Jethro once a month.

Non-believers (5)

Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), Sofa Landver (Yisrael Beitenu), Said Naffaa (National Democratic Assembly), Ronnie Bar-On (Kadima), Einat Wilf (Ha’atzmaut)

Ronnie Bar-On – If Bibi is God, then no.

Einat Wilf (Ha’atzmaut) – I don’t believe in God. God did not create human beings. Human beings created God.

Twenty-one MKs refused to answer

Ruhama Avraham (Likud), Afou Agbaria (Hadash), Rachel Adatto (Kadima), Danny Ayalon (Yisrael Beitenu), Benny Begin (Likud), Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash), Ehud Barak (Ha’atzmaut), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), Matan Vilnai (Ha’atzmaut), Hanin Zoabi (National Democratic Assembly), Jamal Zahalka (National Democratic Assembly), Moshe Ya’alon (Likud), Haim Katz (Likud), Limor Livnat (Likud), Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beitenu), Shlomo Molla (Kadima), Dan Meridor (Likud), Nachman Shai (Kadima).

Haim Katz (Likud) – Such questions show disrespect to members of Knesset.

Anastassia Michaeli (Yisrael Beitenu) – I do not want to promote the subject of faith and religion, but rather the quality of the environment.

Gidon Ezra (Kadima) – I want no part of anything that causes division among the people.

Vague answers (9):

Dalia Itzik – I trust the God I believe in.

Michael Eitan (Likud): In principle, yes. I believe in God as I understand and sense Him.

Daniel Ben Simon (Labor) – That is an interesting question. I believed in God when I was young and even worshipped Him. The older I got, the more the trust between us dissipated until there was a complete lack of communication. There are buds of reconciliation here and there, but I have to admit that they have not ripened yet.

Ilan Gilon (Meretz) – I believe in the God within the human heart, as Tchernikovsky said: “I will believe in human beings and in their spirit, which is a courageous spirit.”

Dov Khenin (Hadash) – I believe in human beings and in their ability to do good and to change. God is wherever we let Him in.

Shai Hermesh (Kadima) – My God is within me, and my conscience is the compass that dictates my behavior and my ethics, and guides me every day.

Shelly Yechimovich (Labor) – Since I am non-religious, I do not believe in the religious sense of the term. I am a believing person in the sense that there are rules of justice and ethics that guide and obligate me. They come from the mixture of my being a socialist, a Jew, a Zionist and a humanist. I am a daughter of the Jewish people in the family, spiritual and historical senses, and it is a major part of my identity.

Alex Miller (Yisrael Beitenu) –Yes, in my own way.

Yohanan Plesner (Kadima) – Belief exists inside every one of us in a unique way, and a system of beliefs is the basis for our moral and ethical behavior. There are many issues that are beyond our understanding, and faith fills the gap. For me, faith is felt mainly in peak moments of an emotional, personal or national nature.

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