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Last update - 09:17 07/05/2008 Free Israel! By Benjamin Lau Tags: lithuanian ultra-Orthodox r own internal circles need to help one another; the fate of the State of Israel does not appear on their radar. They do not send their sons into the line of fire, they do not send their daughters to perform national service, they make a living off charity, and refuse to take part in shouldering the burden of the Jewish people. They cynically undermine the little being done by religious Zionist rabbis, who try to chip in and help resolve the general problems of society. At the beginning of the Jewish year, a Sabbatical year [during which religious law mandates that Jewish-owned land in Israel must lie fallow], the heads of the Chief Rabbinate - which is hostage to Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv - attempted to financially damage the agricultural sector and flood the country with imports. Advertisement Only the struggle of the rabbis of the Tzohar organization and a High Court of Justice ruling put a halt to the disgrace. Now religious court judges - who also follow Rabbi Elyashiv - have found another reason to mistreat the country they are supposed to serve: The conversions carried out by Zionist rabbis are not valid, they ruled, and people converted by them are not considered Jews, even 15 years later. This is inflexibility for its own sake. Had one of those converts been a relative of one of those ultra-Orthodox judges, no one would have spoken up. But what do these judges, they think, have in common with all those goyim, who were imported by the Zionist State of Israel? The ultra-Orthodox position on the conversion issue is oppositional, uninteresting and irresponsible. But it is the ultra-Orthodox who sit at the crossroads of decision-making, and the entire country is subjected to their rule. There are many rabbis in Israel who served in the army, sent their children to the army, and are full partners in all the challenges of Israeli society. The country deserves to have religious court judges who are committed to its future and its fate, and to free itself of judges estranged from the public. Religious Zionism has so far been restrained in its criticism of the ultra-Orthodox, out of a feeling of respect for the Torah sages and a desire to maintain a united religious camp. No longer! In honor of the state's 60th birthday, we must free Israel, strengthen the Zionist camp - including among the religious - and establish religious services and religious courts that are fundamentally identified with the values of the country in which they operate. The writer is rabbi of a congregation in Jerusalem's Katamon neighborhood, and heads Beit Morasha of Jerusalem. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A few good celebs Some of Hollywood's top guns congratulate Israel in a clip played in Times Square. Chosen, shmosen 'Religion is an incarnation of the most childish superstitions,' wrote Albert Einstein.   1.   Free Israel 10:13  |  Glenda 07/05/08   2.   Benjamin Lau, BRAVO! 10:14  |  Akiva P 07/05/08   3.   free Israel 10:43  |  eva 07/05/08   4.   IS HE FOR REAL? 10:49  |  Robert 07/05/08   5.   a typical conservative propagandist! 10:50  |  sptz 07/05/08   6.   What a Lau-life 10:55  |  tz 07/05/08   7.   Kol Hakavod! 10:56  |  Former Gentile 07/05/08   8.   Factionalism would be counterproductive and will only hurt us all 10:59  |  David G 07/05/08   9.   Common sense 11:00  |  Sherlock Holmes 07/05/08   10.   Problematic 11:16  |  ARTH 07/05/08   11.   Good Luck, UO are the ones in control of Israel Today 11:33  |  Johan Odin 07/05/08   12.   A massive Kol HaKavod 11:34  |  ash 07/05/08   13.   reminds me of syria 11:57  |  VIPER 07/05/08   14.   an ignoramus complaining about experts 12:08  |  Joanna 07/05/08   15.   patriotism is the last resort of the scoundrel 12:09  |  just a Jew 07/05/08   16.   ODIN.Re enemies.Read the Quranic quotes used to justify the Hamas 12:13  |  PETER SM 07/05/08   17.   To all those claiming Benny Lau is "conservative" /not a true Jew 12:37  |  Former Student 07/05/08   18.   Lithuanian (non-Hasidic) ultra-Orthodox..... 13:01  |  Esther 07/05/08   19.   The writer has an identity crisis, some kind of hang-up on his ju 13:47  |  Harvey (Chaim) 07/05/08   20.   Totally agree. 13:49  |  Jo 07/05/08   21.   Former Student ,You don`t know what you`re talking about! 13:59  |  Akiva P 07/05/08   22.   Why doesn`t lame duck gov`t. rein em in 14:19  |  Concerned citizen 07/05/08   23.   Jewish antisemitism!!!!! 14:27  |  Rudy 07/05/08   24.   Baruch Hashem For Your Words! 14:35  |  Yona 07/05/08   25.   Rav B Lau, needs to get Rav Ovadia on his side 14:58  |  S Judah 07/05/08   26.   Nothing to gain from fighting 15:09  |  Ilan 07/05/08   27.   Rudy.... 15:15  |  Former Gentile 07/05/08   28.   5 sptz - Rav B Lau is a very Orthodox Rabbi 15:36  |  S Judah 07/05/08   29.   win battle for survival first, then we can clean our own house 15:57  |  PhillyJew 07/05/08   30.   i am confused 15:58  |  sprung 07/05/08   31.   Pay back US support of Israel 16:52  |  W 07/05/08   32.   AMEN Rabbi Lau! 17:11  |  AliciaYasmeen 07/05/08   33.   Free us 17:16  |  B B Ring 07/05/08   34.   Great! Go for it, Rabbi Lau! You are a true leader. 17:20  |  McQueen 07/05/08   35.   Harvey they are the reak enemy 18:23  |  Miche Norman 07/05/08   36.   No non-Zionist state rabbis 18:26  |  MikeTS 07/05/08   37.   The Ultra Orthodox in Israel 18:40  |  Shel Has 07/05/08   38.   Rabbi Lau 18:51  |  Alan J. Yuter 07/05/08   39.   CHOSE YOUR AFFILIATES RABBI LAU 18:55  |  Harvey (Chaim) 07/05/08   40.   RE #8 19:22  |  Kerry OD 07/05/08   41.   Ultra-Orthodox position on conversion is UNorthodox 19:32  |  Tali 07/05/08   42.   Rabbi Lau 21:23  |  Elizabeth Flynn 07/05/08   43.   DIRECT VOTE 21:24  |  TOBIA 07/05/08   44.   41 Tali 21:51  |  tbora 07/05/08   45.   Religious Pluralism 22:57  |  tbart 07/05/08   46.   Kudos Rav Lau - Harvey/Chaim think again 00:12  |  MZ 08/05/08   47.   44 Tobra - Welcome, but facts not fiction please 00:16  |  S Judah 08/05/08   48.   #1 #3 etc 00:32  |  Jo 08/05/08   49.   The Least Common Denominator 00:38  |  Nathaniel 08/05/08   50.   23 01:22  |  Concerned Israeli 08/05/08   51.   39 01:27  |  rein `em in or else 08/05/08   52.   Talk till tomorrow, lame duck govt` will do nothing 01:28  |  interests only 08/05/08   53.   Remember the Inquisition 03:33  |  Jim 08/05/08   54.   Are the chareidim the real Jews? 06:00  |  DJStahl 08/05/08   55.   Doeg, Achitophel, Shevna, etc. 06:16  |  DJStahl 08/05/08   56.   live and let live 07:27  |  marilyn 08/05/08   57.   50 09:13  |  Rudy 08/05/08   58.   Stop Empowering the Ultras and The Problem Goes Away 17:03  |  MIKE 08/05/08   59.   orthodoxy in any religious form 20:41  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   60.   Kol Hakavod??? 20:50  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   61.   orthodoxy 21:07  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   62.   Hey Sherlock! 21:20  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   63.   Problematic? 21:34  |  Doubton 08/05/08   64.   LIthuanian jews?? 21:55  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   65.   LItvats?? 22:16  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   66.   Ilan, truly! 22:22  |  Doubtom 08/05/08   67.   Benji`s inferiority complex 00:37  |  Yaakov 14/05/08

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