Analysis / The ultra-Orthodox are returning Israel to the middle ages

ultra Orthodox, Haredim, Lubavitcher, the 'Kune lemels" they should go where the cult started in Ukraine and live us the secular Jews alone.

You have no one to blame but yourselves. For generations you have tolerated and even worse financially supported an insane situation. You have paid the way for people who hate you and hate the country that pays their bills, and you're surprised that it only gets worse. You've made the same mistake that the British are making, giving welfare payments to a cancer on the body politic that wants to destroy them from within. Parasites continually ask for more and have no shame doing it. Stop the welfare payments, offer one way tickets to the "better" country of their choice, if any one will have them.

The ultra-orthodox Jews, fundamentalist Christians, and Jihadist Muslims are from the same cloth, all believing they have a patent on the truth and bent on making life miserable for the rest of us.

how many hareidim work at haaretz? don't you leftist seculars know that sephardim and ashkenazim have differing customs? hareidim do what their few grand rabbis instruct them to do. go to the government that permits israel bashers like yourselves to incite israel's enemies.

Its Neutra Karta who don't recognize the flag, anthem or even Israels right to exist and there are not much more than 2000 of them worldwide and they certainly do not form the bulk of the orthodox population in Israel. What exactly is so terrible about being against birth control... there are people of all faiths worldwide who are against birth control its not a crime. The majority do not teach the children to hate the state. Ovadia Yosef is leader of a single extremist sect. There are extremist sects in all religions Shas and some other SMALL sects have contreversial views but hey who cares about a religious jew who has an ordinary job and if he wasn't dressed wearing a kipa or black hat he could be mistaken for any secular. Now you have people who want to sperate Ashkenaz & Safardi in school now thats newsworthy. We have the Chabad who do great work worldwide but in Ramat Aviv the seculars are trying to drive them out because Chabad do outreach work and the seculars are worried that G-D fobid their children might take an interest in judaism. The problem is the seculars who hate everything about religion and see orthodox and would rather have Bin Laden as a next door naighbor than an orthodox jew and histility increases and we come down to an attitude of them and us. The seculars need to embrace the orthodox and start treating them as normal people instead of objects of hate because of a few small sects and some kind of personal fear of religion. If the seculars don't reach out to the orthodox we will eventually come to a show down

Ultra-orthodoxy is filled with a narcissistic-fascism, becuz they seem to think that no-one has the right to exist outside of Tora (gee, isn't that what is wrong with Islamaniacs?) If they were truly living by Tora, why would they care what others do? I was laid-off by an Orthodox organization becuz they can't pay my salary, they claim its the economy, however my job was part of the budget and I had reduced expenses by more $4000USD and improved efficiency - The real reason I was laid-off was because I used proven "secular" techniques and ideas which showed that the rabbonim "did not know how to run the business effectively in this modern situation!" Yes, rabbonim You are the problem, start Doing what the Baal Shem Tov said "look at yourself when you see something in another that you don't like or that irritates you!" The entire time I held my job I was ultra-orthodox and I was all ways miserable!! becuz no one gave any compassion, consideration, or understanding for how hard a person works, none of the rabbonim even cared! They would even ask for more work, and then not pay anything, and I rarely if ever got actual days off... rabbonim would say things like Shabbat is a day-off - Well it is not if you need to do laundry and go shopping so you can live!! Not if you are orthodox, cuz if u r orthodox it is a "religious day" - When I 1st became datie Shabbat was wonderful! That is until I went to yeshiva and got involved heavily in the orthodox community, then Shabbat just became more rules, chumra, and it even stopped being a restful day becuz it was no longer about G_d, nor about how and why I relate to G_d and Others; it was all about how many chumra/rules I could keep and whether I could be a good little black hatter; and how much money I could either donate or collect in tzedukah... Orthodoxy has very little to do with actually being Spiritual - and those who are spiritual are too few and far between... STOP BEING A PARROT AND A ROBOT! Grow Up and Become A Productive Part of G_d's World, instead of trying to make the world your own, with your own version of G_d, and your own version of society based upon control and fear of the next world! Like the Beshet and like David HaMelech - I'd rather spend one day in His Courts (i.e. in this world) - being truly alive - then a thousand anywhere else!!

the essential problem is that they do not recognise the legitimacy of the state. however, those on the far left, who want to abolish the state, are no different. both these groups are disloyal. among both groups there are many who prefer islamist terrorists to their own state and fellow citizens. the apparent discrimination at bes yaacov is a minor issue in comparison.

Those whom God wishes to destroy, He first makes insane. When will the majority in Israel stand up for itself?

We only return to the past by wishful thinking. Thinking a democracy for Jews on Palestinian land could be the apple of God's eye is just that. So the ultra-orthodox are only following the established masterplan of Israel--fantasy backed up by artillery.

While the author claims that "Haredi racism is an abscess on Israeli society" he should take a good look in the mirror at the racist-like hatred that spews from his pen. An abscess? That needs to be removed as soon as possible? Didn't the Nazis call Jews an abscess of German society? One that needed to be removed as soon as possible. Was the author quoting Goebbels? Something is rotten in Denmark. But if the writer wants to get rid of the stink the first thing he should do is take a shower.

There could be a simple solution. Unfortunately, the apathy of the secular society is so great that for decades nobody minds that their tax money is financing the haredi way of life + their sons are serving and defending this country, Why don't we get together and organize a tax revolt. Unless the government stops paying for the ultra religious, we will not pay our taxes. The government should stop sponsoring the ultra religious way of life, then complainig about them living in the Middle ages. As long as the government acts like a sucker they will continue to milk the secular, tax paying and army serving segment of our society.

Yoel Marcus's ingrained secualr hatred of Shas has led him to completely to misundertand the import of Rav Yosef's remarks. Ashkenazi Charedi schools have long had quotas for sephardim. This has led to much friction between the two ethnic groups which rightly or wrongly boiled over in the Emmanuel case. As Marcus noted, Rav Yosef's progeny have all attended Ashkenazi institutions. Seciondly, there are no Askenazim beating the doors down to get into Sephardi schools. His staement has to be seen in that light. What he is trying to do is help out his Askenazi colleagues by instructing his follwoers to go to Sephardi schools. rather than attempt to get into Askenazu schools, This will lessen the cries of Ashkenazi racism among the Sephardim and take the spotlight off of Askenazi charedi bigottry.

You should read the loony statements ultra-orthodox are making in the US to defame the Jewish nominee to the Supreme Court..

Israel founding mistakes. 1) proportional representation and 2) subsidising not productive religion students!

There's no inner dispute in Judaism of Ashkenazi vs. Sephardi. Despite the ranting of those who don't actually personally know any charedim, nearly all Ashkenazi charedim respect Sephardi tradition, and vice versa. In fact, the two main pillars Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch and Maimonides, are both Sephardi, and are studied intensively by all religious Jews, including all Ashkenazim.

There's no inner dispute in Judaism of Ashkenazi vs. Sephardi. Despite the ranting of those who don't actually personally know any charedim, nearly all Ashkenazi charedim respect Sephardi tradition, and vice versa. In fact, the two main pillars Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch and Maimonides, are both Sephardi, and are studied intensively by all religious Jews, including all Ashkenazim.

there's an inner dispute: in Judaism it's Ashkenazi vs. Sephardi, in Christianity it's Catholics vs. Protestants, in Islam it's Sunnites vs. Shiites. I wonder what's the reason for this and first of all I wonder what God says about this....

For someone espousing a philosophy (Zionism) created in, and still stuck in, the nineteenth century, built on virulent racism (dispossessing the Palestinians of their homes and fields), that in less than 40 years (1968-2008) has managed to fall from a position of being regarded by the rest of the world with starry-eyed wonder to absolute cynicism, your rant is a bit rich. The only hope of survival Zionism ever had any was by destroying the nation's past and presenting it in a totally false light, hence the need to 'integrate': the ultimate Rainbow Nation. Judaism doesn't need that. We have unique and vibrant past, and as a result we have a future, the Sefardim their way and the Ashkenazim their way. The only pity is that the Sefardim bought into the Zionist myth for too long and didn't realise soon enough that their hope lies only in separate identity.

What percentage of the Supreme Court is sephardi? More than one judge? What percentage of Israeli college students are sephardi? 11% An integration success story to be proud of. The hypocrisy is stunning.

When did the zionist leave the Middle ages?

kick them out of israel. you dont need them they are only a burden and they dont serve in the army

They milk the system dry and contribute nothing, time for drastic change.

That devision between our own people will bring to the end of the state of Israel as it did twice in our history. We all behave as if we have no other trouble and danger around us. That is also true for the far left and far right extremes ,but they at least contribute something to the country .

in the middle ages,at least the people worked. as a chareidi jew myself ,i am utterly disgusted and ashamed of my co-relgionist's.a very large percent of them,don't work,don't go to the army to help defend their own country,and are not even appreciative of this great country,that not only lets them get away with this,but subsidises them to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars each and every year

If the Haredi communities on the West Bank are ceded to a Palastinian State, they become somebody else's problem. All the more reason to go back to the "67 borders. Get them out of the modern State of Israel. They're happy. We're happy. Palastinians get contiguity. Works for everyone.

Judaism is the light, while secularism is the darkness of the middle ages. Secularism brought prostitution, drugs, crime, perversion, and other nightmares to the Jewish society. Secularism is the biggest enemy to the Jewish people. There have been more Jews lost in USA due to secularism, assimilation, and intermariege, than Hitler was able to kill physically.

The fact that Ashkenazi chareidim disciminate against Sephardim should not be condemned unless you are willing to condemn the same blatant racism in secular society. Why is there only one Sephardi on the Supreme Court of Israel? Be honest, the secular are just as racist,especially in the more affluent parts of society.

These people are a small minority. The only power that they have is the power that you cede to them. Take it back. Don't ally yourselves with their parties and don't appoint their people to offices unless they agree to set their personal philosophies aside when doin theoir jobs.

Yoel Marcus, I have to thank you for your insight into this issue. Yoel Marcus writes ...For a country working to bring Jews from around the world together, the Haredim are taking us back to the Middle Ages. "Racism" of this kind has almost entirely disappeared within the secular community. A huge number of "mixed" marriages are seen throughout the country, with the question of which community the bride or groom is from almost a thing of the past - or at least on the path to extinction. ...this is the Israel that we all can start to support. The true meaning of "Israeli" has my support ...the world can be a better place; we can make this world a better place.

The ultra -orthodox like other brain washed religious, need to wake up and look at the calender. These people are a drain on progressive Israeli society, they don't work and they live off welfare! Some of us secular folk with the ability to use their brains should poke them in the eye....