“Paradise in return for your vote,” says Shas.

By Mohammed Ahmad, IOL staff

CAIRO, January 16 (IslamOnline) - “Dear Israeli citizens, we guarantee Paradise for you. Just give us your vote in the upcoming elections and we will give you back an amulet, which protects the wearer against evil and envy, and an authenticated document carrying the party’s seal, and the gates of Paradise gates will be thrown open for you,” Israel’s Shas party is telling voters.

Upgrading its website for Israel’s January 28 general elections, the ultra-orthodox party tried to entice the Israeli citizen into casting his/her vote for the party with their slogans, “Paradise in return for your vote,” “The healing amulet for all human diseases,” and “God supports you for giving Shas your vote.”

The Hebrew website http://shas.web-site.co.il explains to the Israeli voter how they can enter paradise: “Once you vote in favor of Shas, you should kindly head to the party’s headquarters to get an accredited certificate from Rabbi Ovadia Youssef, Shas’s spiritual leader, and be rest assured that this certificate will help you get a foothold in the Paradise of Aden.

“In addition, you can make use of this certificate in your life by using it as an amulet against evil, envy and diseases,” the website added.

“In the Hereafter, two bright white angels will take the voter to Paradise. The voter will wonder: “How did I swiftly and smoothly enter Paradise while others are going down in the Hellfire?”

“Because you cast your vote for Shas in your life,” came the reply. 

The website said the moment the voter drops his/her election card into the ballot box for Shas, “God will join hands with them”.

The voter then has to supplicate to God, who will immediately make his supplication come true.

Anger & Irony

These slogans have brought Shas bitter diatribe from other Israeli parties, which accused Shas of using “filthy” election platforms and striking a religious chord to play on the religious sentiments of the Israeli voters.

They further accused Shas of practicing superstition and charlatanism.

The Israeli Ha’aretz newspaper dismissed Shas’ election approach as being reactionary, accusing it of deceiving the voters in the name of religion and drawing up a new religious legislation for Judaism. 

“Can a voter who does not perform his daily prayers enter Paradise if he gives his/her vote to Shas? And if a Muslim or a Christian voted in favor of Shas, will they enter Paradise as well?” the daily wondered.