In their anti-Zionist zeal, haredim were apparently the ones who went so far last week as to rip out pages from prayer books at the Western Wall that bless the State of Israel and members of the Israeli military--from which by the way haredim are draft-exempt. I'm certainly no fan of prayer, but I find such rudeness detestable. Can you imagine the outrage that would ensue if a secular or atheist Jewish group did such a thing? If such incivility weren't enough, the haredim also have rioted and stoned those outsiders who enter or pass through their neighborhoods on Saturdays and who do not follow haredim rules for observing Shabbat. Also just a few weeks ago, they rallied on Shabbat against the opening of a parking lot in Jerusalem that took place on a Saturday. In other words, these fundamentalist desecrate prayer books in the name of Torah and violate the Sabbath in order to save it.
Women in the Orthodox Jewish world are at best second class citizens. In Israel, on special public transportation bus lines set aside for haredim, women must sit in the back. On Nov. 29, a woman who dared to assert the notion of women's religious equality by donning a tallit (prayer shawl), wearing a kippah (skull cap) and carrying a torah scroll at the Western Wall. According to strict tradition, only men are permitted to perform these rituals. So she was arrested by the police for her act of defiance. These are perfect examples of the disproportionate power being held by the Orthodox minority in Israel.
It's just mind-boggling that the Israeli taxpayers have been putting up with and supporting these radicals, so it's good to see that more rational people there are at the end of their patience and are beginning to push back by staging protests against Orthodox repression. May the day soon come that they take back the legislative power to reign in extremists.
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Israel's problems furnish a lesson for Americans: This is what happens when religious fundamentalists are granted special privilege or take power. We had a taste of this scenario under the Bush Administration. For example, during that era, because of Bush's religious beliefs and those of his hack political appointees, life saving stem cell research was almost completely shut down. Significantly, Bush and his Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, justified the war in Iraq as a "holy Christian crusade". The Bush regime also saw an intensification of hostility in the U.S. against teaching the theory of evolution in public schools.
Currently, right wing Christian extremist and far right political groups such as "teabaggers" and "birthers" along with their radio commentator allies are manufacturing outlandish myths about President Obama, and some members of these groups are even praying for his death.
Then there is the prospect of Republican Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee running for president in the 2012 elections. Gov. Huckabee is an unapologetic Christian theocrat who believes that America should be governed according to biblical commandments. And don't even get me started on Sarah Palin, another possible 2012 contender.
In short, at the end of the day, when religious interests take control of a country's government no matter what religion or country, its citizens can kiss freedom good bye.
Addendum: Dec. 14. It turns out that the situation in Israel is even worse than I indicated above. A friend of mine sent me article today that reports Justice Minister is proposing the imposition of Torah "as the binding law of the nation" Click here for the story.
4 comments:
More evidence that this conflict will go on indefinitely.
There is no guarantee that reason will triumph and every reason to believe that religion will prevail and continue, even though it's already accepted worldwide, to try to take over secular governments, because NO amount of control is enough for these people.
I always thought of Israel as a secular state. I am appalled that these religious parasites get to avoid civic responsibilities -- how does that happen?
IMO, the reason for the takeover in Israel by the Orthodox, including their privilege of dodging civic responsibilities (having their cake and eating it too) is twofold. First is the Parliamentary system of government which in Israel's case requires horsetrading between the majority secular and moderately religious political parties with the fundamentalist Orthodox-based minority parties in order for the former to get their bills passed.
Second is the inferiority complex of many non-Orthodox Jews both inside and outside Israel which is stems from guilt feelings over lax observance of Torah rituals and traditions. So they idealize the Orthodox as the "True Jews", donate money (especially from Diaspora Jews), and turn a blind eye towards their political excesses.
One can only hope that Israeli non-Orthodox Jews will wake up and smell the coffee and restore Israel to the secular principles on which it was founded
I already knew about coalition govt. - I just didn't know they were that strong.
I did not know about the secondary guilt. It's clear that Israel needs Humanistic Judaism as much as the US, if not more. Each succeeding generation has to be taught that God hasn't done a thing for the Jewish people; they've done it all for themselves.
And it's time to reaffirm Israel's right to exist as a secular state. I SO approve of the counter-rallies. If I were there, I'd go.
I'm aghast at one more thing - these mf'ers get the protection of law from a state they don't recognize! Israel should throw their holy asses in jail for treason. ;)
shalom to all ("Put on your yarmulke - it's time to celebrate Hanukkah").
A.
I have to stress that the "guilt" factor is strictly my opinion. I don't know if it has a basis in fact. But I'll bet it does. For example, take those godawful Chabad Telethons (Please!). I can't help but wonder what percentage of pledges pour in from non-observant Jews who probably would likely be appalled if they knew what these fundies really stood for. But the guilt-ridden viewers are taken in by the benign smiling demeanor of (what my cousin in Israel calls them) "the bearded ones, not mention being impressed by the celebs ("hos" IMO) who appear on these shows.
I couldn't agree with you more, AP,about your proposal to 180 the treatment haredim receive in Israel and the need for a stronger presence their of Humanistic Judaism there. Heck, I hate to say it but at this juncture, I'd settle for a takeover in Israel by the Reform movement.
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