by Rabbi Daniel R. Allen
We play dreidel in America with the letters forming the words a great miracle happened there – Nes Gadol Haya Sham. In Israel we play the game with the words A great miracle happened here – Nes Gadol Haya Po.
In Beit Shemesh these past days a great miracle has begun to happen which must connect the enlightened Jews both here and there. The rally at Beit Shemesh at the end of Chanukah must become the starting point for a renewed Zionist vision of Israel that is inclusive of all Jews being able to share in the blessings of a secure, democratic Israel with true religious pluralism.
Even while we in chutz l’aretz – outside of Israel (not in exile) – work diligently to support Israel’s legitimate security needs, we must also challenge the Government of Israel to live up to its Declaration of Independence. If written today I am afraid it might have read as follows (additions in parenthesis):
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish (halachic) immigration and for the Ingathering of (certain of) the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants (if they are Jews, preferably ritually observant according to the chief rabbinate); it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel (as long as the prophets are not understood to be liberals or social justice activists); it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion (unless they are Arabs, Bedouins, or some others), race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion (for Jews within the definitions needed to keep a coalition government strong and the chief rabbinate in power), conscience, language, education and culture …
It is time for the Government of Israel to stop being coerced into allowing the chareidi community to choose to be poor and educated [while allowing them] to be anti-nationalists. Ben Gurion’s compromise on army exemptions has spun wildly out of control. The Charedi population – who are mostly non Zionist, who do not believe in Israel as a Jewish state – must no longer be exempt from the opportunity to earn a living by being subsidized and serving the country in some volunteer capacity whether that be the army or social services.
It is time to return to the wisdom of Rav Kook. He loved both the yeshiva bochers and the kibbutznikim. He worked to build a society where tolerance of Jewish differences and differentiated ways of life all worked for the rebuilding of the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. The Charedi no longer are part of the Kook equation. They are outside the acceptable parameters of a modern Jewish democratic society which was envisioned in the Israel Declaration of Independence.
We have the responsibility and obligation to support Israel’s security needs while fighting for its spiritual soul. We take seriously the words of Rab Kook “What is old you will make new and what is new you will make holy”.
Rabbi Daniel R. Allen is Executive Director of ARZA.
The only people who condemn and devalue Jews in terms of their level of Torah observance are Jews. Those people wanting to see the demise of Israel and all the Jewish people need not sacrifice one more of their own to suicide bombings for we will implode on our own.
If Hitler saw all Jews as equal, slaughtering even those who never set foot in a synagogue, then why can’t we?
Every historic change that takes place begins with one single incident which serves to ignite outrage which in turn motivates united people to demand change. Hopefully the disgusting way this young girl has been treated by fellow Jews will be such a moment for all of us.
Well stated! In my 8 or so trips to Israel (including living there for a year and three separate summers) the only time I was frightened was by ” fellow” Jews who did not agree with my level of observance. So sad.
There is way too much generalization. The numbers of chareidi that condemn and devalue, that harass or coerce, are tiny and the percentages are almost insignificant. The problem that exist needs to be dealt with(!). But to fan the flame of hatred, generalizing the actions of 100 to hundreds of thousands, to demonize a group based on the terrible actions of a tiny, tiny subset – based on media accounts which are sometimes reckless and provocative seems itself a horrible injustice and a gross display of hatred and intolerance for other Jews.
Yes, there is a problem. But it is very limited to a small band of provocateurs and not the broad chareidi/ultra-orthodox membership, leadership or communities. By belittling those that are not culpable, we can easily become enmeshed ourselves in the widening circle of unjust intolerance, pre-judgment, and vilification.
Generalazation aside, One must note from the past that “He or She should not cast stones within a glass house…” Ah, that brings another proverb that ” A House divided cannot stand!” And yet another might consider a quote from Bob Marley “Judge not unless you judge yourself.” Warning against hypocrisy – It’s a “Buzz Kill!” Live and let live, we would all get along much better.
We blame other religious moderates for not publicly criticizing their extremist colleagues in the mass media when those extremists act with intolerance. I would like to see publicity of the point of view expressed by this piece in the broader media, as an example of fearless honest criticism of Jewish extremism by moderate Jews. How can we make that happen?
There is no excuse for this outrageous behavior.These men should be held accoutable for their behavior and thrown into jail. Israel stands for freedom for the oppressed and opens it’s doors to all. Where is the leadership here? I am deeply saddened that equal rights apparently don’t extend to the entire population.
I have just completed cashing in all my Israel Bonds. I do not owe the haredim my money and as long as the State of Israel continues to treat them as more jewish than I am, I will regard Israel as
just another theocracy that awaits a civil war.
Perhaps I could earn more money investing in some Islamic country. They are just as bad,
I’d rather donate my money to my local Temple because they understand “freedom of religion” more than the haredim in Israel.
Perhaps instead of pulling our support from Israel, we should find and support those organizations within the country that are actively working on keeping the minority extremists at bay.
We are witnessing a world where a small number of extremists are being given the power to impose their ideology upon a cowered, frightened majority. Whether by use of physical violence or political/finanical pressure, these self-serving, narrow minded and dangerous extremists are only as powerful as the people around allow them to be.
Let’s not turn our backs on Israel, but rather help to shore up the polticial/financial/social will to finally address and control the small religious zealots so that their voices can be heard without their will being imposed. Abby G. Burton
Dear Abby,
I and my family have been supporting Israel for over 60 years. My dad gave them a donation of the money it would have cost him to pay for my bar mitzvah party.
The sad fact is we cannot find and punish the “small religious zealots” from here in the U.S. Only the citizens there can do something about this minority. Their elected government chooses not to.
There was a time when people were asked to support Israel simply because Israel paid such good interest. If some Arab nation paid better rates would you suggest I invest in them? Even when they deny me any rights because I happen to be born Jewish.
Is their denial any different from those who say I am not Jewish enough to suit them? (Isreali ultra orthodox)
Just look at history: every society that did not treat its citizens equally has suffered a civil war (include the recent, so-called Arab spring and the War between the states here in the U.S.)
David, you are indeed correct that all changes must come from within Israel….political and social. I obviously didn’t make my point clearly enough or you wouldn’t have thought I was merely talking about “better rates”.
I mean that we should support those organizations and people within Israel who are trying to lessen the impact of those who are trying to force their extremist ideology upon everyone else.
Looking at history, too often it was the extremist minorities who gained power because those in the majority were either too frightened to push back or miscalculated the impact of a few on the many.
You and I aren’t in disagreement, David. We both believe that no one has the right to pass judgment on anyone’s “Jewishness”. Especially not a fellow Jew. Abby G. Burton
Dear Abby,
You are correct. We don’t disagree on your final point.
Where we seem to disagree is on the financial support for the State of Israel.
No matter how much I am against the haredim’s actions, any money I give to Israel supports them as well as everyone else.
When the other Israelis realize their financial support from the outsiders depends on their ability to stand up for what’s right for everyone, maybe they’ll change.
Till then, I cannot support Israel financially.
It is ironic that the lack of tolerance, the hatred of someone with different religious beliefs and the religious coercion today comes from the liberals and non-ultra orthodox! Because a handful of thugs did something reprehensible that has led to widespread haredi bashing!
It is also quite ironic that the separate buses were started by the public bus company Egged, against the protests of these same ultra-orthodox! I live in Beit Shemesh and clearly remember that there were private buses established with separate seating how, then Egged created separate seating to keep the monopoly (financial interests of pleasing consumers) and the ultra-orthodox wanted to prevent Egged from shutting down the private companies.
Egged made sure that separate buses were only in places that served ultra-orthodox and that there would be non-separate lines in every route, so as not to offend anyone.
It is also ironic that I hear from women who have no interest in separate seating per se, but preferred those lines to avoid the prevalent sexual harassment from the (secular) boys and young men!
Honestly, this whole thing is ridiculous! There are thugs and criminals in every society and community. So far the most that even the media can dig up is several spits and name calling (“slut”), things that are reprehensible, but relatively harmless compared to the real criminals lurking. The fact that this is the worst that they can find shows how few there are problems!
The only ones (in significant numbers, say over 1% of the specific community) that seem to be hating another for his religious beliefs are the secular and liberals. The amount of provacation and slander against the orthodox is appalling.
The government is and has been doing what they can. I spoke to someone from the Beit Shemesh police who admitted that they give preference to protecting the public from more serious crimes and terrorism, but that they do what they can.
I do not mean, in any way(!), to make light of any and all reprehensible and criminal acts perpetrated by ultra-Orthodox (or by anyone) and each should be judged and responded, to the full extent of the act.
I wish that there was more balance, perspective and understanding from all corners (and centers) of the Jewish World!
David,
Abby has a point. If you give your support directly to organizations that are fighting for religious freedom and equality in Israel, then your money will go to just what you hope to see change in Israel.
When you say “When the other Israelis realize their financial support from the outsiders depends on their ability to stand up for what’s right for everyone, maybe they’ll change.” I think you don’t realize just how many Israelis are starting to stand up for what’s right for everyone right now – especially after these latest incidents. Israelis are fed up, and taking to the streets. With the Knesset elections coming up later this year, it would be no surprise if these issues are the ones that people will be voting on this time. Even when it came to the recent social protests in Israel, and the subsequent Trajtenberg committee, the fact that the Haredim are a huge financial burden on the country did not go unnoticed.
But if you don’t support such organizations – then they won’t have the ability to fight this pressing problem. What kind of change in Israel do you want to see? Think about that, and then give your moral and financial support to organizations that are working to make that into a reality.
Mr. Bisk, I never wrote that I hate anyone. The issue here applies to everyone with a personal secular and/or religious belief and political ideology: use any legal, civil means to forward your message but do not try to impose your will upon others using violence and abusive actions.
Included in this is that it’s incumbent upon the leaders of communities and religious/political groups to speak up against those within their own ranks whose extreme actions not only put those unlike themselves in harm’s way but also undermine their own integrity.
Sometimes silence can be deafening and as harmful as raucous shouts of insults.
An open dialogue about the reprehensible actions of a certain segment of society and the seemingly lack of condemnation from their own leadership does not constitute hate or bias. It’s called civic responsibility and participation.
I am a Jew and do not judge other’s “Jewishness”. Do I hate those who judge me using their level of observance as a template to decide my value? No, I do not hate those people.
But I will not be silent when the value of the issues raised by dialogue is painted as diatribe, when the condemnation of the actions of certain people is devalued by painting such as hate of those people.
I do not believe in the old adage of not hanging your dirty laundry out in public.
That there are Jews willing to speak up when abuse and violence against our own exists. is something to be proud of and encouraged. That there are Jews willing to speak up and stand up for the innocent and vulnerable in this world, especially when they are Jews, is what we are supposed to be.
Whether the abuse takes place within the supposed safe environment of a yeshiva or synagogue or home or it’s perpetrated by neighbors, we Jews…of all people…know what can happen when the violent actions of the perverted or the extreme ideologue are met with silence. Abby G. Burton
“The fact that this is the worst that they can find shows how few there are problems!” Really? I don’t see it that way. And certainly the Israeli public don’t seem to see it that way. I suggest that you visit this site and download the Religion & State Index and see just how “few” problems the Israeli public see these days. http://hiddush.org/pubssub.aspx?aid=1602
Ms. Burton – you lump all of ultra-orthodox together. There is a group of extremists that comprise perhaps a couple of hundred families. Their leaders won’t (I think) condemn their actions. There are let’s say, hundreds of groups, making up some 100,000 families (or so – I really don’t know the figures). Many of those leaders have spoken out in their own forums. They don’t write in the NY Times or Wall Street Journal, so you haven’t heard them. They are not speaking to you. They are speaking to their congregations.
If you do not feel hate – then I applaud that. I wasn’t writing specifically to you, and I have seen and heard a lot of hate (people have admitted to me hate).
Ms. Chazan – I am referring to reprehensible actions on the part of the individuals (not ideologies). I think if we look at the secular world we will find much worse sexual harassment, and even on buses in Israel in the secular communities. We will find many more uses of the word slut in the secular world (I grew up in Scarsdale and heard that term thrown around as a put down to girls daily).
I recommend that you read an article in the Jerusalem Post (Jan 2) by one of Israel’s most respected writers (see “About Me” tab on her blog site):
http://www.carolineglick.com/e/2012/01/is-israeli-society-unraveling.php
I am 100% against any and all acts of religious coercion, sexual harassment (including the tamer end of name calling in a moment of anger), scaring girls, etc. I am all for punishing the perpetrators to the full extent of their actions.
I am against the wild generalizations, vilifications, unwarranted backlash of misinformed ideas and policy suggestions. There is such an amazing amount of misinformation being spread around. I live in Beit Shemesh 10 years and Israel for almost 30 years (after an Ivy League education). I have come to know personally many, many of the leaders and followers of the many, many other groups that make up the ultra-Orthodox, in Beit Shemesh and other parts of Israel. I personally know of their rabbis and leaders speaking against the actions of the few who are really extremist and uncontrollable by the normative ultra-Orthodox. Too much of what is thrown around applies to very small groups and individuals. The self-righteous who really don’t know better are perpetrating their own injustices.
I have read the commentaries left by the readers of this article. Simply put,a few(I hope)radicals have created havoc on the weakest links in Israeli society…woman and children. The bigger issue is that if the leadership within the Orthodox community,and I mean the entire community whatever the faction be,were vocal in their opposition to such behavior,it would disappear.By not being openly vocal,silent consent is given. In truth,while not wanting to condem any group using a broad brush stroke,there are major philosophical differences between the orthodox and secular communities. Israel is a secular state………or so I’ve been told. Keep your faith but don’t try enforcing your beliefs on the rest of the population. Israel is all inclusive…that is why it exisits.
I think it is an exaggeration to call it havoc on women and children. There is one school in an ultra-orthodox neighborhood of children who are not, and several hotheads created fear. Regarding women – it is only on the few segregated lines, between ultra-orthodox neighborhoods with parallel non-segregated routes, where a small number of women, mostly provocateurs, were called names by angered men for not abiding by the bus company’s rules. That is all! There is much more sexual harassment by youth and young men on the non-segregated buses (I have heard from women first hand). There is much more name calling (“slut”) in the streets, parks, schools, hallways, than in any bus. Are you liable for their actions since you are not speaking against them (your co-secularists of Israel or your own town/city)? And if a wild street gang is doing this or worse – picking fights, pushing drugs, pimping, stealing – are you to blame since you didn’t speak out against them (in newspapers that they likely don’t read, but certainly don’t care about)?
How do you know that Rabbis are not speaking out? I say they are, but just not in the news channels that you read (which would not reach the perpetrators).
I also can tell you, that the group of extremists does not listen even to the biggest Rabbis of any other group. There is no way to get through to them. It is like asking your state senator to write a letter to an extreme group of anarchists or skin heads. (Believe me, I am not supporting the proprietors – just trying to bring reason to those who are generalizing it to others, or laying secondary blame on others).
I can also tell you, that they (at least a subset) are even more extreme that you probably know – they are against the State of Israel.
I can also tell you – there are almost none that are trying to enforce their beliefs on others. They do not suggest separation of seating on other buses. As a matter of fact, and I know this to be a fact since I live in Beit Shemesh – it was these same extremists who fought AGAINST having separate seating on public buses! Why? Because they created internal private bus lines. The public company, Egged, fought them to have their own separate seating, purely for financial reasons (to monopolize the busing industry)! There are no attempts to enforce their beliefs on anyone else, other than the women who go out of their way to take one of the few buses that is segregated by policy of the national bus company and to enforce their non-segregation on a population that just asks that they, amongst themselves, to be segregated! The coercion is the anti-religious coercion that is going – by a small group of anti-religious or feminist activists.
Israel is a democratic Jewish State, which tries its best (never, ever expect perfection in anything in the realities of an imperfect world), to respect the interests of the majority and the minorities. If Arabs in Israel wanted separate seating on their buses – amongst themselves – would outsiders be fighting to enforce integrated seating?
David,thank you for your commentary. I believe that accountability needs to happen regardless of who the prepatrators are. If the secular community acts poorly they too need to be held accountable. I disagree that the orthodox are not forcing their beliefs on others…..you blame women, who don’t believe in segregation,to be provocateurs. Segregation does not bring understanding nor tolerance. It didn’t work in the United States or South Africa. Israel is a wonderful country that is trying to deal with many difficult issues…..unfortuately the orthodox community does not believe in it’s existence yet reaps the benefits from living there. The whole situation is mind boggling but that does not mean there is no solution and that there is justification for inaction.
Carol,
No where in my messages did I use the word “provocateurs” nor did I blame women for the current situation. I believe you meant to address your message to Stephen Bisk. I have some issues with some of his points. He seems to say that, because the number of perpetrators is so small, they don’t represent the community. I would like to remind him that only a small number of Islamists were used to attack four planes and bring down the World Trade center.
WE SHOULD NOT (of all people) blame the majority for what the minority does. But, that’s the way of the world.
I still believe that a civil war will ensue because the government of Israel gives special breaks(military service, taxes etc.) to the haredim that aren’t available to other citizens.
Carol – glad that we are on the same page – all perpetrators should be held fully accountable to the the extent of thier action within the law.
However, you are making too big a deal about others who have different values and cultural norms than you or I, who prefer sitting separately from the opposite sex on a bus so they don’t bump into each other on turns. There were all-women colleges when I went to university in the States. There are a lot fewer today, but not because of the injustice of segregation, but because of the change of values and cultural norms. This has nothing to do with fewer rights for anyone (as in the situations you were referring to in S. Africa and the US).
The orthodox community doesn’t believe in what existence? The State of Israel? Everyone believes (realizes) there is presently a State of Israel. About 100 or 200 nuts believe that the state of Israel should be dissolved. Honestly, that is all there are! We are not talking about 10%. Not 1%. Not 0.1%. Not even 0.001%. I think it is slanderous to throw the 99.9999% in the trash because of a 100 or 200 nuts. There are 100 or 200 anarchists that want to dismantle the USA – does that mean that Americans are against the existence of the USA but reap the benefits? What do you do about those anarchists? Probably nothing – they are extreme radicals, that have obviously have nothing to do with you or me and we have no influence on them. If they cross the line beyond freedom of speech to criminal activity we want them prosecuted. Until then, we don’t worry about them too much.
What I find mind boggling is that people can slander so broadly while so few are responsible. What I find mind boggling is that so many can speak so strongly and have so little basis for their opinions.
The existence of crazies in any and every society is what I expect to be the unfortunate reality of life.
Mr. Stephen Bisk,
It appears as though you are super sensitive being a Traditional Jew. Furthermore, you also have a spiteful tongue that allows one to view just how insecure you really are about Judaism. Of all Jews, we happen to believe in the same God. One God – Monotheism!
Your words: “It is ironic that the lack of tolerance, the hatred of someone with different religious beliefs and the religious coercion today comes from the liberals and non-ultra orthodox” … The generalizing is yours. I am a Liberal Jew and non-Traditional. I am nevertheless, serious about Judaism. Does that make me less Jewish? NO!
Also in your words: “based on media accounts which are sometimes reckless and provocative seems itself a horrible injustice and a gross display of hatred and intolerance for other Jews.” Seriously, Extremism is not a simplification. Extremism is the “reckless” party. Extremist are just that – Extreme, Excessive, and Unnecessary! In addition, they should be called down, regardless of the “number” of people guilty. It could be one or 100. The media is reporting a sad situation. To call out the media as “reckless” is an escape from reality.
The generalizing about hate crimes and secularism is yours. Radicalism is wrong in every sense of the word. How would you like it if one called your mother a “S___” as you have pointed out in most of your responses? I cannot even type the word. The term is repulsive no matter how you convey the word.
One would have thought with that expensive “Ivy League College Degree” that you would have some real leadership aptitude and capability, but instead, you strike all who have prepared some very interesting arguments for change that might be good.
Why not try a little self-control in the interest of dialogue! I can assure you that you have nothing to be worried about or feel quite so susceptible to criticism and denigration.
I am not diminishing the acts in any way of anyone that perpetrates them! I have been very clear about that. I am only against the generalized anti-ultra-Orthodox – attributing the abhorrent actions of the .01% to the 99.99%. That is the generalization that I am against.
“The ironic thing,” that I meant to convey, is the intolerance of people for anyone they see as related to the perpetrators (even though they are not culpable) in the name of tolerance and liberal openness.
Where do you feel that I relate to a secular Jew as any less of a Jew than someone orthodox? Where do you feel I generalized to the secular? I never intended that, and do not feel that, if you see it in my words. I apologize if you feel I am slighting you or anyone or any group.
I am not insecure. I am not being attacked and I am not standing up for myself. I feel a duty, as someone who grew up in Westchester Reform Temple and the Scarsdale public school system, went to Penn and came to live in Israel and to personally know many ultra-orthodox, that what is being espoused is based on faulty information. I do not believe my difference with anyone writing in this thread is based on difference of religious belief or perspective. If that were the case – there would not be anything to discuss. I believe strongly that many people are reacting to a faulty understanding of the situation. I believe that if people were to understand that there are a small handful of radicals who do not listen to the mainstream ultra-Orthodox, that no one is coercing religion, or even separation other than in very limited pre-regulated settings, then they would not be feeling the way they do (which for some is real animosity against the orthodox and, for some, against Israel).
I apologize if I have offended you or anyone else. That is completely the opposite of my intension. My intension is to correct misunderstanding for the handful of people reading this thread, and to reduce the disaffection, the distain, and chasms that have arisen in the wake of recent events by a few. The only ones that I had harsh words for were the perpetrators of crime or abhorrent behavior – whether ultra-religious or anti-religious or anywhere in the middle. I would like you and I, and all of those reading, to find it within ourselves the ability to tolerate, accept and care about all the non-perpetrators, as fellow Jews (or fellow human beings), regardless of their religious beliefs or practices.
I hope I have been successful in shedding some understanding and in diffusing some hatred (that does exist in some – based on self-admission to me, if not with any particular reading/writer). Perhaps not. I doubt I will accomplish much more, so I am signing off this thread. Best wishes – sincerely.
David,my apologies,I did mean to address Stephen’s reply. Stephen,I am the product of an all women’s college in the U.S.A. I went by choice and do not regret my experience ;but times are different now. Back then the woman’s movement was just really beginning and now that we are empowered the need for single sex schools seem less relevant if not obsolete. It seems to me that segregation of the sexes is a way of maintaining the status quo.Regarding the bus situation.are you really intimating that orthodox women are incapable of dealing with anyone other than their own kind? Are they so fragile that mere contact with others causes a colapse of their value systems? Regarding the intolerence demonstrated at the modern orthodox school, I truly believe that only a few in numbers are the problem but this is not a numbers issue it is a justice issue. You are quite correct when you point out that there are those in the U.S. who would dismantle our way of life and we take it very seriously and monitor it closely.The Oklahoma bombing taught us quite a lesson. Free speech is not the issue here….harrassment,threatening posturing,intimadation pass the boundries of free speech. Whether it is done by 1,100 or 10,000 it is still wrong and it is up to everyone to condem and act on it according to the law. As an outsider looking in,if action had been taken earlier,an 8 yr old girl would not have been traumatized. This was not an isolated incident. Sadly,your community seems sensitive to its’ own needs but lacks empathy for others. It was not until these despicable acts hit the world wide media that meaningful action was taken.Yes,perhaps your community is being harsely judged but maybe,just maybe it will act differently going forward. I’m afraid we will have to agree to disagree. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the opportunity to discuss these issues with all of you. Thank you for hearing me out.
Steven,
First of all, in the more than 30 years I’ve lived in Israel, I have never even ONCE had anyone harass me on any public transportation (I’ve never been on any gender segregated buses, either), and that includes the many, many years that I rode on buses to work that served huge amounts of secular High School and university students. So how you surmise that harassment of women by the secular public is more of a problem than what we’ve seen lately, is beyond me. (By the way, in the less than four years when I lived in the USA and was taking public transportation to work every day, I was sexually assaulted twice.)
As for denying the State of Israel, I wish it was only 100-200 “nuts”, but 100-200 nuts do not get the 2 Knesset seats that Degel Hatorah has. Since Rabbi Elyashiv is their spiritual leader, and he espouses (far too often) things that deny the State of Israel (instructing his followers to not enter the army, their disrespect of our Holocaust Memorial Day and Yom Hazicharon, and much more), then apparently he and they have far more than 100-200 followers.
By the way, Chabbad are also non-Zionist, and they too have far more than 100-200 nuts. While I greatly respect what they do around the world, it does seem a bit unseemly that they refuse to put Israeli Independence Day on their calendars, don’t you think?
As you said, there really is “an amazing amount of misinformation being spread around”, but unfortunately, you also seem to have some misinformation. We aren’t talking only about the handful of Sicarii in Beit Shemesh but rather a large number of the population who have representatives in the present coalition and use that power to strong arm the government and the country into allowing them more and more favoritism with every passing year.
Our getting this upset about calling someone names and spitting on young girls may seem like we are going overboard. But you should understand that they are symptoms of a much larger problem. If history teaches us anything it is that if we ignore the symptoms, the disease could spread and eventually kill us. Remember the poem:
First they came for the communists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
While the poem relates to a different time, the sentiment is still relevant. If we do not speak up about such injustices now, we won’t be able to speak up later since everyone who could have spoken up will already be silenced.
But don’t get me wrong – of course it isn’t ALL of the ultra-orthodox that are the problem, but just a minority. Unfortunately, a large number of that minority are those same people who have power and influence, and THAT is the problem.