Guest Post by RaP
Israel is in a very precarious situation at the
present time. Beset by surrounding Arab "states" that either no longer exist or
are held together by threads as chaos and civil war reign in their midst,
with foreign military intervention by Russia and its allies near Israel's
borders, and by a widespread internal insurrection by Israeli Arabs, and with a
governing coalition with only a 61 seat majority in a Knesset of 120, if one
looks very closely, one sees the cracks in the unstable governing coalition
opening up.
The last two plus years of Israeli political life
have revolved around the huge growing Charedi population. The prior government
was an outright anti-Charedi coalition that set about to change the "status quo"
between the religious and secular worlds in Israel. Openly rejecting any Charedi
parties from sitting in it, the government went on a "war-footing" against the
Charedim. Decrees were promulgated against Charedi Jews cutting off funding to
their institutions and communities, threatening them to forcibly sign
up for army service, undermining traditional Torah education and institutions,
destruction of rabbinical courts and financially strangling the
yeshivas.
At the same time, the Arabs seemed to "sense blood"
and started a campaign of terrorizing unarmed Israeli citizens who wore any type
of Kippa or Yarmulka. Who can forget the kidnapping and murder of the three
religious Israel teens that sparked an Israeli invasion of Gaza against Hamas
recently, and then the brutal attack against the Charedi rabbis praying at the
Har Nof synagogue in the heart of a Jerusalem Charedi neighborhood that sparked
so much anger among all Israeli Jews, and many other such acts of terrorism and
barbarism directed at any Jews caught off guard.
Soon thereafter, the anti-religious governing
coalition collapsed, and quickly in its stead a new governing coalition was put
together with all the Charedi parties being included in the new government,
commencing a roll-back of the anti-Charedi decrees and edicts. The three major
Charedi political parties SHAS, AGUDA, and DEGEL, all got important
posts.
But then, recently over this past Sukkos at the end
of September, barely six months into its new term, the latest coalition seems to
be in trouble judging by current events, although tentative, but clearly
indicating the first rumbles before an earthquake
What seems to have triggered this latest
political unease and evident in-fighting again likely revolves around the fate
of religious Jews in Israel stemming from the preponderance of religious and
Charedi Jewish victims of the latest round of Arab violence. Stabbings, stonings
and terror are seemingly being directed at the Jewish religious populations in
Israel with Charedim fearing for their lives more than most as word leaks out
that they are obvious easy targets being that they stand out and are unarmed and
do not have military training.
There is also a dimension to the Arab uprising that is evidently
directed at the Jewish religious sites such as the Kosel, with the Kosel area
now becoming a "fear zone", Kever Rochel is under increased armed
guard, Kever Yosef burned down yet again, while Jewish holy places are
being claimed as belonging to the Muslims "only" with Israel now on the
defensive, all yet again.
There are more political rumblings, as a leading SHAS minister resigns from
his position as Minister of Economics, without citing good enough reasons, and
in this climate indicating perhaps an act of protest. Another Minister from a
non-religious party declares he is willing to resign to make way for the Labor
leader to join in, and the Labor leader issues a statement, no not about the
"matzav" but rather criticizing the Jewish religious sector!
Jews are being knifed and bombed in the streets of Israel, and its
obvious the people are angry and want to be protected and want action, but the
government responds by talking about "revoking citizenship" and building more
walls which is already a disaster because it makes Israel look like one long
"DMZ" line as in North Korea or the hated Berlin Wall. All this is not good and
there is a somber mood as if the next big step is being contemplated.
Jews are now under siege and many are nervous to venture outdoors for fear
of sudden stabbings. This is no way to live and will have serious political and
other consequences as the Jewish public's fear and frustration will force
change to happen one way or another.
A house divided against itself cannot stand long and likewise a government
that includes Charedim in it but does not swing into action to protect not just
Charedi and religious Jews but all Israeli Jews cannot go on for much longer as
it loses the faith of its citizens in it to protect them from harm.
And sadly, it would seem that it is not to the Rabbinical or Charedi or
Orthodox voices that Netanyahu is turning but yet again he is being pulled in
the direction of bringing in members from the Left to prop up his coalition.
This cannot go on for much longer as Jewish blood runs in the streets of Israel
and one can only conclude that change is coming soon, hopefully for the better,
it is only a question of how soon and who will lead it.
May we hear only good news and may the Geulah Sheleimah come very soon!
What does chareidim as catalysts have to do with anything in the article?
ReplyDeleteOf course I always enjoy reading Rap's posts and comments. But this one seems to be more a rehash of his previous ones on the downfall of the Goverment and the Rise of the hareidi parties. I think, however, that the situation, is rather different. Please note, that i have no ruach kodesh (that I am aware of) and in the fog of war nobody can see things clearly.
ReplyDeleteToday, the situation in Israel is different from any previous matzav. First, the threat from arab armies has disappeared, with the armies themselves. Even the mighty Iran is stumbling in Syria and like Sancheriv in the past, the enemies of Israel are turning their swords against each other. Even Russia cannot stop the ISIS and other Islamist groups from destroying Hezbollah and the Iranians.
Within Israel, at no time since perhaps the Yom Kippur war, has there been greater unity amongst Jews. There is much less hatred towards religious, and we now sadly see Korbanot of religious and Hareidim alongside the secular and traditional Israelis. The amalek/ enemy has always found Jews as a target, and the religious Jew is now the symbol of that hatred.
Next, the outside world is not being critical of Israel. How can they? Russia and america are bombing hospitals and claiming to hit terrorists, and meanwhile are waiting for the intifada and Isis to hit European and American soil.
The concentration of world armies in the North, ie Syria, is a scene from Gog and Magog. These are the superpowers who are fighting in the North, and the islamists are fighting each other. Some palestinians and Israeli arabs are joining Isis to fight Hizbollah in Syria! This is the theatre of the absurd, but it is also a siman that we have Hashgaha Pratit, and that Hashem is guiding things in our favour. Even the question of Jerusalem, which divides everyone, is on the agenda because we are praying for Geulah, and Hashem has His plans. we should not be too surprised if more preparations lead to Korbanot being performed on Har Habayit in the next few decades. The Parah adumah is being developed, and although these moves are criticised by the non zionist Hareidi world, this has been the pattern of the last 100 years.
Perhaps the reason that the Hareidim are being targetted (if in fact that is the case - I'm not convinced that the facts agree with you) is a message that they should be more involved with the rest of Israel. They should be playing their role, rather than shirking their duties and leaving others to build the country without them.
ReplyDeleteAs for the kosel - it was R' Chaim who made it into a no-go zone, not the Arabs and not the Israelis.
I usually enjoy RaP's pieces but this one, with its emphasis on how everything revolves around the Chareidim, reminds me of the great line from Doctor Who: If you are not a Dalek, you are an enemy of the Daleks!
ReplyDeleteThe last government wasn't anti-Chareidi, it was pro-secular which was interpreted by the Chareidi leadership as being anti-Chareidi since anything not overtly pro-Chareidi is inevitably characterized as such. The cuts to the religious sector weren't a pogrom against Chareidim but based on a policy of diverting limited funds to more productive sectors of the economy. But again, the minute Chareidi community interests aren't ranked uber alles we hear claims of "anti-Chareidi".
If the average Chareidi who now sits unemployed "learning" all day long were to go out and find work, would these "evil decress" have affected him? If he were to share the burden of military and societal responsibilities would he have been a target? If, instead of isolating himself from Israeli society while simultaneously pronouncing himself the real reason it endures, he had proudly participated as a Chareidi Jew in that society would the last government been a cause of suffering to him?
which R' Chaim do you refer to? I thought it was the Satmar Rebbe who forbade it after the 6 day war. Was it also forbidden by R' Sonnenfeld?
ReplyDeleteFactwise, most attacks are being made against soldiers and police, not chareidim. Possibly, a majority of attacks against civilians may be against religious Jews, but not necessarily against chareidim. As news provoking as the riots and stabbings are, they are nowhere near 2nd Intifada rates where many more Jews were killed in one suicide attack than the total deaths this round. Violence in Yerushalayim and among Israeli Arabs has already tailed off.
ReplyDeleteWill the West Bank Arabs keep on indefinitely? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
The coalition appears unstable because parties make rumbling noises to get their way, but every party is terrified to sink the boat as there's no way of knowing who'll be on top of the heap next time round.
There have been innumerable times in the past and in Israeli history when things looked bleak. Moshiach is a nice solution but not necessarily just round the corner. In the meantime, bechol dor vador...
R' Sedley,
ReplyDeletewhen you refer to the Hareidim being "targeted", by whom do you mean?
Anyone who has read my posts will know that I am as far from Hareidi as possible, but they are being targeted by the Arab terrorists , as we learn in the Gemara, because our enemies target us throughout the generations, because we observe the Torah and mitzvot.
Regarding the other common slur against Hareidim, they are involved with the rest of Israel. They engage in many things that other sectors sometimes ignore, including chevra kadisha, kashrut, social services, Gemach etc. OK, there are not that many basketball stars or classical guitarists coming form the Hareidi sector, but they still are part of the society, and are ever increasingly represented in the hi tech work force
and perform various other parts of national service. Remember that DL and mitnachlim who are fully active in army and yeshiva combinations, are also sadly targeted, by both the terrorists,and the political sanctions they face.
The wall is not "a disaster." It is a lifesaver. There's no way to know for sure, but based on the numbers of suicide killings before it was built, it has likely saved hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives.
ReplyDeleteWhy do so many Chareidim believe the world revolves around them? First of all, I don't see the government falling. Second of all, I don't see the Chareidi parties causing this to happen. What is their alternative, a Labor government where they will be totally shut out?
ReplyDeleteJustifying the killing of chareidim b/c the supposedly are "shirking their duties." Nice.
ReplyDeleteI'm not justifying the killing of Haredim. chas veshalom.
ReplyDeleteI'm citing the Gemara in Berachot 5a: Raba (some say, R. Hisda) says: If a man sees that painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct.
And I'm not suggesting that this is the explanation. I'm proposing an alternative to RaP's explanation (which is that everything is about the Haredim, but never their fault). Because surely examination requires considering more than one option.
I don't think the Haredim are being targeted by anyone. I think they RaP is presenting them as victims, but that is not the reality.
ReplyDeleteThere are many Haredim who do many good things. I'm not denying that. But the majority have virtually no connection with the rest of Israeli society. And even those who work as (e.g.) kashrus supervisors are unlikely to identify and see themselves as a part of the secular society. The attitude I have encountered (as a Haredi) is that anyone who is not Haredi has very little purpose or value. I think that Reish Lakish (for example) would very strongly disagree with that attitude.
I meant Rav Chaim Kanievsky in this particular instance, but you can insert the name of which ever Rabbi you wish.
Or let me put it another way. The fact that RaP and others see the killings as targeted against Haredim means that they don't view Israeli society as a whole, but "us and them". While everyone else in the country sees Jews and Israelis being killed, Haredim only see the tragedy as a Haredi one.
ReplyDeleteWe are all guilty of focussing on ourselves first. But this is not something to be aspired to. RaP is taking a fault, and making it into a core belief.
no worse than blaming the killings on jews who go to har habayit. maybe the killings are because sefardi girls are excluded from various schools?
ReplyDeleteNot remotely comparable to the case of Jews who go to har habayit. There the argument is that they are the proximate cause, as evidenced by what the Palestinians are saying. Here what's claimed is that the chareidim are being Divinely punished, a punishment they deserve for their supposed misdeeds.
ReplyDeletea) Let "him" examine his conduct, not someone else. I.e. you.
ReplyDeleteb) Sorry, but you absolutely are suggesting that this is the explanation, that the chareidim somehow deserve to be punished for shirking their supposed duty.
Awful.
The attitude I have encountered (as a Haredi) is that anyone who is not Haredi has very little purpose or value.
ReplyDeleteLies. An invention to justify your demonization of fellow Jews.
There are many Haredim who do many good things.
Some of your best friends are Jews, right?
plenty of rabbanim have said that the killings are divine response to people going to HHB.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen any such statements, but if they exist, they are wrong. But in any case, it's still not comparable, b/c there is no claim that a particular group is being punished for their misdeeds, but rather that klal Yisrael as a whole is being punished for the misdeeds of a certain group. Quite different.
ReplyDelete