In a shocking revelation that strikes at the very heart of democratic principles, VIN News has obtained disturbing evidence of what can only be described as a calculated scheme to manipulate religious leadership through financial incentives. The explosive WhatsApp correspondence between Conservative movement representative Izhar Hess, Deputy Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, and his chief of staff Eyal Ostrinsky reveals a morally bankrupt strategy to “purchase” signatures from Haredi rabbis for letters opposing the “Eretz HaKodesh” faction.
A Disturbing Price List for Rabbi Signatures
The correspondence, first exposed by Kikar HaShabbat, details how these individuals coldly categorized rabbis as if they were commodities on a price list. In one appalling exchange, a campaigner working with Hess and Ostrinsky presented potential rabbis who could possibly be persuaded to sign against Eretz HaKodesh, complete with price tags:
“Rabbi S. Galai, Rabbi Mordechai Gross, Rabbi Yitzchak Zilberstein, Rabbi Mordechai Bunim Zilberberg, Rabbi Koldetsky, Rabbi David Cohen, Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, Rabbi Aviezer Piltz, Rabbi Yigal Rosen. Total: 35 [35,000 NIS],” wrote the campaigner.
The campaigner then explicitly categorized these respected Torah scholars: “These are B-level Lithuanian rabbis in Israel. Around 4,000 each.”
When Hess questioned, “Isn’t this price outrageous?” the response was even more shocking – not moral concern, but merely bargaining over which rabbis would provide the best return on investment. The campaigner replied, “If we remove Rabbi Zilberstein and go with Rabbis Galai, Koldetsky, Cohen, and Gross, he’ll do it for 20. It’s according to difficulty, he claims.”
Democratic Values Betrayed
This calculated approach to manipulating religious opinion represents a profound betrayal of the democratic values that organizations like the World Zionist Organization claim to uphold. The blatant discussion of “purchasing” religious endorsements treats Haredi rabbis not as respected community leaders with genuine opinions, but as commodities to be acquired.
The correspondence reveals Hess callously suggesting: “Maybe we could set a price for each signature to provide motivation? Because if he comes back with signatures from three or four who aren’t influential enough, what have we accomplished?”
When asked about prioritizing which rabbis to target, Hess inquired, “Who are the most important names on the list?” After learning which rabbis had the most influence, he gave a chilling green light: “Alright, you have the green light. Good luck!”
This transactional approach to religious authority reveals a deeply troubling mindset that has no place in democratic institutions.
Calls for Immediate Resignation
Such behavior demands immediate accountability. Both Izhar Hess and Eyal Ostrinsky should resign from their positions within the World Zionist Organization. Their actions demonstrate a fundamental lack of respect for religious leadership and a willingness to use financial incentives to manipulate public discourse.
Eretz HaKodesh representatives forcefully condemned these revelations: “After Conservative leader Izhar Hess claimed they merely ‘took Rabbi Dov Landau’s halakhic ruling and helped distribute it,’ it’s now clear Hess lied again while he and his assistant Eyal Ostrinsky brazenly worked through emissaries to ‘buy’ rabbis’ associates and influence them to act against the Eretz HaKodesh party, compounding sin upon transgression by paying for it from national institutions’ funds.”
They further stated: “Once again it becomes clear there is no boundary uncrossed and no moral barrier not trampled by those who abandoned the values of the Torah of Israel. Eretz HaKodesh will use every legal and administrative means at its disposal to bring the offenders to justice for all violations committed by them.”
Echoes of a Troubling Past
This scandal evokes disturbing memories of past instances where Jewish organizational leaders have spoken dismissively about religious Jews. The calculated ranking of rabbis as “B-level” and the cold assessment of their monetary “worth” reflects a shocking dehumanization of religious leadership that has no place in any organization claiming to represent Jewish values.
The transparent attempts by Hess and Ostrinsky to justify their actions as merely “exposing hypocrisy” fail to address the fundamental ethical breach of attempting to financially incentivize religious positions. Their weak defenses only further highlight how disconnected they have become from basic moral principles.
Defiant Responses
When confronted with these damning revelations, Hess and Ostrinsky offered defensive justifications that only compound their ethical failures.
Izhar Hess responded: “All information in the ‘wall poster campaign’ is nothing but truth. We are in a historic struggle over the character of the Zionist movement. Exposing the hypocrisy of those belonging to the leadership of the Lithuanian public in Israeli politics—Moshe Gafni, Yitzhak Pindrus, and Shmulik Litov—is the right thing to do.”
Eyal Ostrinsky similarly deflected, claiming: “The only deception is by the Eretz HaKodesh list, which pretends to present support from Torah sages for its candidacy in the elections—support that can clearly be seen these days as non-existent.”
The Path Forward
As this scandal continues to unfold, the World Zionist Organization faces a critical test. Will it hold accountable those who have betrayed its values, or will it tolerate leadership that views religious authorities as commodities to be purchased?
For the integrity of our communal institutions, there can be only one acceptable outcome: those responsible must be removed from positions of influence and appropriate safeguards must be established to prevent such ethical violations in the future.
The Jewish community deserves leadership that respects the dignity of all its members, regardless of religious affiliation. Anything less is a betrayal of our collective values and the democratic principles these organizations claim to uphold.
The moral turpitude is horrifying. Hess and Ostrinsky should be barred from anything having to do with public service.
This article originally appeared on VIN