Peres urges Israelis to protest against religious extremism
More than 10,000 people expected at a rally in Beit Shemesh to protest exclusion of women; President says all citizens of Israel must defend the character of the country against ultra-Orthodox fanatics.
By Haaretz and DPA Tags: Shimon Peres Jewish World Israel protest Orthodox JewsPresident Shimon Peres on Tuesday called on Israelis to attend a demonstration against religious fanaticism, after two days of rioting by ultra-Orthodox extremists in Beit Shemesh.
Thousands were expect to attend the Tuesday night rally in Beit Shemesh, a city south-west of Jerusalem, organized by pro-democracy and equality activists.
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President Shimon Peres. |
| Photo by: GPO |
"The entire nation must be recruited in order to save the majority from the hands of a small minority," Peres urged. "This obligation is everyone's responsibility."
"Today is a test for the nation, not just for the police. All of us, religious, secular, traditional ... must as one man defend the character of the state of Israel against a minority which breaks our national solidarity," Peres told reporters Tuesday.
More than 10,000 people are expected at a rally in Beit Shemesh on Tuesday to protest the exclusion of women as well as violence against girls and women by Haredi extremists. The rally will begin at 6 P.M., near the Orot girl's school.
On Sunday, violence erupted in Beit Shemesh as ultra-Orthodox men clashed with police officers and attacked two television news crews. At least six people were arrested or detained for questioning.
The violent scenes in Beit Shemesh on Sunday, when a Channel 2 news team was attacked by 200 Haredi men, were repeated on Monday.
On Monday morning, dozens of ultra-Orthodox men surrounded police officers and municipal inspectors who came to remove, for at least the third time this week, a sign on Hazon Ish Street, in the Haredi neighborhood Nahala Vemenuha, ordering men and women to use separate sidewalks. The men tried to prevent the sign's removal, calling the police officers "Nazis" and dancing around them in circles.
A few hours later a crew from Channel 10 was attacked as it tried to film a piece on education in the city. Police officers dispatched to the scene after the news team called for help clashed with dozens of Haredim. Some of them lay on the ground in an attempt to keep other members of the group from being arrested. Three people were taken into custody.
About an hour later, a second television crew was attacked as it filmed the controversial sign. The Channel 2 camera crew was pelted with eggs, and a videographer was physically assaulted. Police officers sealed off the street and found themselves facing around 300 Haredim who shouted at them to leave, threw rocks at them and set dumpsters on fire. Officers detained three suspects for questioning.
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Some religious extremists in Israel and America are closer in ideology, to the Iranian government, than to Israel. The Iranian government has been active for many years in directing and recruiting Jewish fanatics to destroy Israel from within. On many occasions, they have found favorable reciprocation. It is happening now: As Iran is finally facing the "judgement day", it is using all its weapons. The biggest weapon Iran has against Israel, is the Jewish fanaticism it has been feeding for at least ten years.
Kol HaKavod, Shimon Peres! After having had to watch silently, as behooved his mostly ceremonial position as President, while the country he dedicated his entire life to was being destroyed and its values eroded by an insidious and calculated process of introducing an ever-increasing wave of anti-democratic legislation he has stepped up to the plate recently and sharply criticized and denounced the direction in which the country is being steered by unscrupulous elements in the government. This honors him and demonstrates that the welfare of the country has a higher priority for him than being comfortably ensconced in his lofty seat - yet condemned to sit silently at the side-lines - muffled by the constraints of his position.
I had learned by now that Israel is the worst place for orthodox Jews. They hate religious Jews because they see the beauty of living a religious life & they don’t live like that, it was always like that in the “Jewish” state of Israel.
Where are the fathers, husbands and brothers.
And Israel is supposed to be the Jewish land! I think that Israel is the worst place for both ultra orthodox & orthodox people. The US is the best place for all.
on 2000 yaers ago religious tales
Like the character of israel hadn't already been tarnished. The government are in a dreamland, soon to become a nightmare. This is the least they deserve, fighting from within, the american tax dollers sure have gone to good use.
so that the nonsense of what my god says should end ! other people are locked up as insane when they express the equivalent of religious teachings !
No small coincidence that the politicians are focusing on "women's rights" being abused by Chareidim as a way to deflect that thousands of women are being used as sex slaves in Israel or being trafficked through Israel. Ah, yes, the slave trade brings money to these folks, so let's let women be raped continuously. Let's not call in police to brothels and crack down. Let's focus all news and world attention on how we care about women by besmirching the Chareidim. Works like a charm, doesn't it Peres, and keeps your money-making sex slave trade going strong.
Whether you like it or not, the secular hasve become the ruling minority.
While their demographics are a landslide compared to secular Israelis, the latter are still 60 % of Israelis, with Arab Israelis being the remaining 20%. 60% of secular Israelis isn't a minority, Aron. It's not too late for aconstitution, and changes in Israel's electoral system which turns the ultra-orthodox parties into divas wooed by anyone who needs a coalition.
Not going to happen. The Ultra-Orthodox will end up becoming the rulers of Israel. Civil war coming. Who do you think the IDF will protect? Yep that's right the Ultra.
It is no coincidence that Israeli politicians and news outlets are trying to bring attention to how they care about the rights of women vis a vis Chareidim just about the same time that the State of Israel topped the list of countries that has enslaved thousands of women as sex slaves. Where is the outrage and the bills calling for sentencing of brothel owners? Where is the demonstrators -- why aren't they freeing the women forced to work as prostitutes for 16 hours per day? Ah, they get paid off by the brothels, so Israel needs to show it cares about women in a different way. And since Chareidim are fair target all the time, it was great strategy to show how much they care about women this way. Never mind the women dying in the brothels.
Can't two problems exist at once?
Israel shouls be hated ny women iin the world. Working 16 hours a day as sex slave is much worse than being woman in Saudi Arabia
...they are trying to be true Jews ..!
"As long as People believe in Absurdities, they will continue to commit Atrocities"
I sincerely wish israelis would free themselves of the medieval practices of orthodox zealots and access to an open-minded, beautiful Judaism which is not doomed by Self-destructive imbecilic, self-appointed “spiritual” leaders but full of hope and has a future.
It is only Jew-haters like you who use that claim as a club against the state
Between Stockholm and Tehran, Israel of today is much closer to Tehran. From birth to death, from circumcision to funeral. Israel is operating in the shadow of the commandments of religion.
look at a map: Israel has ALWAYS been closer to Tehran. I don't understand the so-called liberals in Israel: for decades they've sided with religious Jews in order to dispossess Palestinians; now that the dog bites back the master, Peres starts protesting. Get real.
are the kinds of people that the Macabees eliminated before the first Hanukkah. These HELENISTS are the most dangerous problem for Israel.
Will you spit on them for being "Mityavnim"? What about hermeneutical Aristotelian logic, which we borrowed from the Greeks and which is the very nucleus of the very Talmud these ultra-Ortthodox study day and night. Don't decry Helenism, lest you are left without Jewish civilization. The Maccabees fought Helenism in idol-worship, and the cruelty of crushing Jewish worship in the Temple and elsewhere. As Abraham Joshua Heschel put it: Helenists sanctified beauty, Jews beautified sanctity. 2176 years after the glorious triumph of the Macabees, we know what hormones are, and don't think beauty is a "danger". We still want to beautify sanctity. Spitting on a 8-year old girl and segregating women, is the opposite of both Jewish and Greek values.
The president's job is to ensure that the laws (and they exist) are implemented not to condone citizens' demonstrations (and soon, unavoidable vigilantism) asa tacit admission that the state cannot deal with a public interest and order issue. My country is loosing it
Which will happen first? Iran to become a democracy or Israel to become a theocracy?
Same like islamic religious fundamentalism!!!! Will be hard to live here:) whit this bugs:))
Israel now is too religious and its going to be like Saudi Arabia State to the establishment of the last of the illegal settlements and outposts in the West Bank - Israel is operating in the shadow of the commandments of religion.
I,e any protest by the ultra terrorist -thy should face our police and our firefighter with there cannon water by land or AIR ,what ever thy use in order to wash away the Ultra orthodox -Wash away the dirt from our street -we can use rubber bullets -paper spray -tear gas -so far with all the talking nothing of major steps was Taking against the ultra -ultra criminals -i,e if thy don"t like what thy see .thy can turn there face any where thy want -thy are becoming full time burden on us 360* all so financially ..Exemption Yeshiva School by Shas with a new bill the 1000 school thy dont have to pay property taxes (arnona) ?? WHERE IS JUSTICE ?we should all stop paying our taxes until this bill will be abolish and to stop subsidy the Yeshiva boys thy should be treated like all our students with out Double standard -we should crash them .crack them down -Jail them -Expel them -we can hit on them very hard and by all means -no one is above the law -15 years in jail for any Rabbi that spreading hate -thank you MR Peres -shall be written shall be done -with new law and orders for the Haredi should be declare now ,,and the list goes on
you really have never been to israel!!! you must live in your own strange world. poor guy!
The vast majority of orthodox Jews are against these extremists and their ideology too. It is just that like all terrorists, normal people are scared of being attacked.
I see two alternatives for Israel: - a total stop of the subisdes to these religious beggars/blackmailers (to yeshivot, schools etc...), to try to reduce their influence, if not too late - or prepare to an Israeli Iran in a few decades. - or prepare to a split of the country If Israel doesn't face strongly this reality, some years from now, it will need to send the army in the streets and shoot, because those fanatics will not hesitate to do the reverse when the demographics will be in their favors (just look at what they are doing now with their means to be convinced what they will do when they will be the majority). Call me crazy if you want, but, unless the seculars surrender or leave the country, this will lead to the repetition of ancient history, where Israel will unfortunately split into two entities, one religious, fanatic, and the other secular, modern. I'm not crazy: that's exactly what is happening under our eyes! Fortunately, this time, the modern Israel will probably survive. I wouldn't be so sure that the religious fanatic one would have the strength to do the same. And please do not believe that I'm happy of that.
...my heart is crying.
The lifestyle of religious fundamentalists cripples a nation's economy. If these people are handed the reins of power, they will be the only ones left to develop the State. Presumably they will then follow the thinking of Islamic extremists who blame everyone else except themselves for their poverty. Ultimately both Islamic and Jewish extremism will go the same way as Communism and be rejected by the people. Why - because they will wake up to the fact that it is the fastest way to poverty and helplessness.
The dark side is that Israel has other enemies that will take advantage of this situation. Israel cannot afford to wait that these fanatic fail. Moreover, I'm scared to thing that those fanatic would have the nuclear power under control!!
Let me get this straight..You cannot seem to establish legal borders, or stop settlement expansion..Your PM came to our congress and insulted our President (I rarely curse at my TV, but I did that day)..You have permitted segregated busing..And NOW you're allowing your orthodox nut-bags to spit on eight-year-old girls?!? You guys are totally off the rails!!! And you wonder why RP is gaining so much steam in US elections??? Don't get me wrong, our nutty evangelicals are a pain in the rear, but we mostly have them in check. The American people would NEVER allow them to get away with this sort of thing. The Israeli public is in desperate need of some serious introspection. The things you are allowing your radical government and religious extremists to get away with are against everything America stands for. There is no possible way 90% of the American people can possibly support this any longer. PLEASE stop this, before it's too late.
Extremism exists everywhere. Haredim are a small minority in israel who don't even believe in the state. Many of them don't even see a connection between themselves and other jews. Hassidim have been fighting with one another for months. These people will be stopped. This is israel, not Iran.
WHERE IS THE CONDEMNATION BY THE LEADERS OF THE VARIOUS STREAMS OF ORTHODOX JUDAISM???
Many of the Violent Haredim are Anglo Saxon countries who don't recognize the Israeli laws. , or even the "Ten Commandments" or the Laws of Moses... So can these extremist really be "Jews"..... Since most of them are not Israeli citizens other than by the "Law of Return"...Simply put them on a aeroplane back to "Brooklyn" and see what happens to them when they throw rocks at the New York Policemen and Call them Nazis......... The fast they are deported the quieter it will be.. Finally where are their Rabbis, in my humble opinion the Rabbis should excomminicate them from the Jewish religion...
you get mixed up between religion and resisting occupation.
Who wants them.. they call us nazis, send them to hell.
Modern Israel will split again from fanatic Judea. Fanatics will write again some religious book that will paint modern Israel as decadent, heretic, sold to the enemy. So the history will be ready to repeat again and again.
It can`t be helped. As long as the prophet Elia is honoured because of his religious rigour there will be modern religious extremists doing their lunatic job as well.
I would like to see him at the ICC. Religious extremism has he spred since the days of Ben Gurion, or have I misunderstood something?
The way not to need them for a sane and sound coalition is changing the byzantine, ultra-representative, ultra-democratic parlamentary system in Israel. The way to change that is for a unity government that mixes secular right, with center and left, -despite their mutual loathing- and gather 61 Knesset Members. Then, all forces must be gathered to change the electoral system. Once it has passed the Kafkian stages and becomes law, segregated education within the Ultra-orthodox communities must include civic studies instructed by non-Haredi teachers, combined with religious teachings on Israeli values. The way to do that is an educational revolution whereby ther ultra-orthodox can't live ina wholly parallel universe any longer. And that, yes, requires a constitution that is enforced. They must come to terms with the values of Israel, just like the rest of the Israeli society. Minority rights, yes. Minority blackmail and violence, no.
It is too late. They are too strong now and the demography is strongly in their favor. I'd better see a coalition between Lieberman's fanatics and religious fanatics to push the democratic force into the opposition than the opposite. Lieberman looks opposite to religious but he is much closer to them than to the democratic forces.
They live in parallel universes. It may well be that demography is already irreversible. But Israel has to find ways to sideline medieval thought. Maybe Israel can learn from Arab and European states how to sideline religious nutcases.
Certainly not them! They just need to unite in order to crush democratic forces. They each of them think he will be stronger than the order to take the upper side. World history is full of such examples.
You said: "I'd better see a coalition between Lieberman's fanatics and religious fanatics to push the democratic force into the opposition than the opposite. Lieberman looks opposite to religious but he is much closer to them than to the democratic forces." I am asking, "Is such an affinity between the ultra-secular Liebermans and the ultra-orthodox Haredim even plausible in terms of 'common anti-democratic interests' "? I really doubt it.
Add buses for ultra religious if they value such a thing so much then they would be happy to pay extra for this special service. This doesn't have to be a fight.
when will there be protests against secular extremism?
When they start acting like fascist pigs trampling on democratic rights
Sounds tragicomic. But the base of it is helplessness. The time-bomb of ultra-orthodox demographics in Israel has ticked for decades, and it couldn't be stopped, of course, except through education. But since every PM, except Sharon, build a coalition with their votes, every one catered to their "Madrassas". Now demographics, and the result of their Yeshivot as Madrassas of medieval stupidity, turns into medieval aggressiveness. So since Netanyahu needs them, and only issues words, not actions about it, we have the very President of the Nation calling on citizens to protest. It's Paris 1968 ,made true; helpless, pathetic, and yet existential.
While what syria is doing wrong , they are not shooting Iraqis for doing the very same thing that Syrians are doing and allowing them to get away with it, whereas Israel is by shooting/maiming/killing/arresting and labeling as "terrorists" arabs and allowing Jews to slide by.
last time the non-Jewish (Palestinian or Arabs, call them as you will) citizens of Israel protested they were met with violence by Israeli police; some were killed.
So why not use a lot of them? and much more often! Corrupt police who protect the ultras must be replaced by a MORE DEMOCRACY ORIENTED force instead of the "protection racket" they have now
Where is the politically balanced leadership? Terrible vacuum, and he street demonstrators are not the leaders a decent nation needs.
The character of the country is defined by its elected government – a coalition of neo-fascists and religious extremists the likes of which are worse then anything found in Christianity or Islam. That is the true character of Israel, and since it purports to be the Jewish homeland it is the true face of the Jew as well. All Jews are equally responsible for this abomination of a state they created or allowed to be created.
He feels the same today. Aside from wanting the peace process to happen he wants the Haredim to be brought into the 21st century. Peres can do two or more things at the same time Reader. you on the other hand can only do one. Bad mouth Israel.
its peres, netanyahu, barak that have given rise to violent extremists for decades. its them who have legitmized not only illegal settlements but violent settlers.
Jews. Sub-types: orthodox Jews, ultra-orthodox Jews, nationalist-orthodox Jews. (There are secular Jews, traditional jews, conservative Jews, reform Jews... etc, etc, etc). You lump the three types, orthodox, ultra-orthodox and nationalist-orthodox together. These folks with the black hats, the long peyot, the kaftans (robes) are NOT the ones who live in settlements or in hilltop trailers. They are not nationalist-orthodox, they don't have the settler-mentality. They have a medieval mentality, and live within the green line, in Jerusalem, in Bnai Brak, in Bet Shemesh, etc. They live in the neighborhoods of Mea Shearim, Geula, Givat Shaul, etc. They aren't settlers, nor do they share ideology, expanisveness, land maximalism or any Zionist ideology. They are to the most part non-Zionists who parasite from the Israeli economy and political system. They see themselves as the guardians of Torah, and study Talmud day and night. Now they have demographically reached a critical mass that seems to be propelling their fanaticism towards the outside world, in terms of demands of segregation between men and women. It's a big problem to deal with them, and my view on it is in posts 14 and 17. Peres, Netanyahu and Barak have nothing to do with them, haven't "nurtured" them, nor have they colonized any part of the West Bank. They are trying to colonize Israel's soul with their 17th Century mindset.
this problem is occurring within the Haredim populace which will also in the long run protect women from every facet of Israeli society. The Haredim are not the settlers.
These people are not distinguishable from the way ultra Muslims behave toward women. If their behaviior is what it means to have a Jewish democracy then.............. And do they get special financial support from the state so they can study and not go iinto the IDF?
We orthodox, conservative, and secular Jews are willing to speak up against our crazies. There is no such thing as a Jewish fatwa against those who do not see eye to eye with our extremists.
Their is no such thing as religious extremism. It's only extreme for those that choose to be moderate or secular. As if being moderate is some superiority because it's the norm. Being a moderate is against GOD. If people followed the laws of GOD as told, we wouldn't have this problem of secularism vs so called extremism. Secularism is a cancer that makes strict religious followers hateful of the evil that comes with it. I repeat secularism is a disease and that's the problem.
Get out of the world of spin, into the real world: Is spitting a 8-year old girl right for you? If it is, you need a shrink, and your ultra-orthodox buddies do so too.
The Israeli populace will cut this cancer now.
I have two wonderdful daughters who have been educated and have grown up to be model citizens. If they want to walk on the left side sidewalk or the right side sidewalk they can. Show me in the Talmud where my daughters are not allowed to.
the prohibition against women riding at the front of the bus is contained in some nebulous, amorphous phrase. sorry folks, but your religious texts are so vague and self-contradictory they can plausibly be used to justify anything. better to just jettison them altogether
How is it that this diminutive little sweetie could strike fear in the hearts of barbarian so-called religious men to the point that they would spit and curse? Hashem Himself must be looking down and wondering? I wish her the best 8th candle as 10 000 will protest such inhuman cruelty on an innocent child.
Israel's grand old man is living in the past. At the time of the War of Independence, and for decades after, the Ultra-Orthodox were seen as a problem. They would not fight to save themselves and required immense effort to save during the War of Independence. Then they were seen as quaint, bought off by welfare and privilege. Then they were given license for decades. Welfare, privilege and license have become expected by the Haredim. Submission by the rest of Israel is also what they have come to expect.
here and now the Haredim have "crossed the line" with their acts and the people will no longer accept it. We Jews will protect the rights of others as well as ourselves. The Talmud will be respected ...it will not be re-interpretated to the desires of these people.
A shame the 'entire nation must be recruited' when the police, charged with civic order, should simply have enforced the law. Why do we have to make such a big deal about everything?
Either we have a rightious Israel or we have none at all. If this guys want to live in the dark ages they should leave towards Iran and settle there forever.
Iran is not right place for them. There they would be obliged to work, which they can´t. They only know to study the hol books, to live like parasites , to exploit their wifes and the jewish society.
I thought so-