v The committee which selected a new leader of Jewish Home earlier this year was determined to select the antithesis to Naftali Bennett, who had just defected to set up his New Right party.
To replace young business entrepreneur who at times had seemed determined to offend the sens ibilities of the party’s old guard, especially its senior rabbis, members sought a more reassuringly conservative figure, although not a firebrand.
Rafi Peretz, 63, seemed the perfect candidate. A mild-mannered and unassuming rabbi, he combined a military career as a helicopter pilot and former IDF chief rabbi together with an exemplary record as a quietly charismatic educator at the Atzmona pre-military academy for 18 year-olds, which he founded in 1992.
Rabbi Rafi, as he is known in the national-religious community, appeared to be a unifying figure. He came to the notice of most Israelis 14 years ago during the disengagement from Gaza, when he ordered his students not to oppose the eviction and instead lead them in dancing, together with the soldiers, out of their settlement.
He seemed a rather odd choice to lead a political party. No-one remembers the smiling and always-courteous Mr Peretz ever raising his voice or being involved in any underhand dealings.
Benjamin Netanyahu, appointing him last month as education minister in his temporary cabinet to replace of Mr Bennett, who he sees as a potential rival, must have thought that Mr Peretz would cause him little trouble. He may also have thought the appointment would be a good way to ensure that Jewish Home, now part of the United Right List, will stick by him in coalition after the next election.
But despite his “unifying” image, Mr Peretz is also a follower of Rabbi Tzvi Tau, one of the more radical spiritual leaders in Israel who in recent years has embarked on a campaign against what he sees as a loosening of morals in Israeli society and the religious community as well. Rabbi Tau’s particular targets are the integration of women in combat roles in the IDF and the growing acceptance of LGBT people. Some of his acolytes have even launched a specifically anti-LGBT movement called “Noam – A normal people in our land”.
So perhaps some of Mr Peretz’s recent remarks should have come as less of a surprise. Two weeks ago, in his first cabinet meeting, he said he was deeply concerned about assimilation in North America, describing it a the term which is deeply offensive for many diaspora Jews: “a second Holocaust.”
Then, in his first major broadcast interview on Saturday night, he supported annexing the entire West Bank and opposed giving the Palestinians political rights, even though he acknowledged this could be seen as “apartheid”.
But the most damaging of his remarks, at least for the prime minister, was his endorsement of “conversion therapy” for young men and teenagers coming to terms with their homosexuality.
Of all the controversial issues, LGBT rights is the one which could be most problematic for the Netanyahu coalition. Many right-wingers, both secular and modern Orthodox, nowadays have a pretty relaxed view on this. Another of Mr Netanyahu’s recent appointments was Amir Ohana, Israel’s first openly gay minister.
But the spectacle of his political ally, the new education minister responsible for all Israeli children, supporting a treatment seen by many as cruel and dangerous that has been classified by Israel’s main medical associations as “unethical”, is highly damaging for Mr Netanyahu. His rivals on the right, particularly Avigdor Lieberman and in the centrist Blue & White party, are running their campaign on portraying Mr Netanyahu as being “controlled by extremists”. Mr Peretz has given them a major boost.
The Education Minister has since tried to take a step back, saying that he does not believe conversion therapy should be forced on anyone, and that he accepts all young people, no matter their sexuality.
But he hit back at the media too for its lack of “pluralism” and not respecting his views. He knows that Mr Netanyahu cannot afford to fire him for those views, as he is already growing short on allies.