Who's more harmful than a yeshiva boy?
The settlers and the ultra-Orthodox are the two most energetic and determined groups among the complacent and somnolent Jewish populace.
By Gideon Levy
The similarity is striking: two insular and arrogant population groups, different and at times peculiar, powerful minorities with authoritative leaders, both with their own laws and norms. The settlers and the ultra-Orthodox - the former is some 300,000 strong, not counting settlers in East Jerusalem, and the latter numbers about 700,000, including Haredi settlers.
In the Israel of 2010, these are the two most energetic and determined groups among the complacent and somnolent Jewish populace. Both wreak ruinous damage to the state, and both cost it vast amounts of money. And, lo and behold, while the campaign against the Haredim is gathering momentum - a campaign that is just in principle but is accompanied by ugly hatred and racism - the attitude toward the settlers fluctuates between apathy and sympathy, and even compassion.
Compassion? A member of the panel investigating how Israel handled evacuees of the disengagement from Gaza, Yedidya Stern, this week described them as no less than the victims of "the gravest infringement of human rights in the history of the State of Israel." Not Israel's poor, not the immigrants who were dumped in development towns, not the children at risk, not the children of migrant workers, not the Arabs who were driven out in 1948 and 1967, and not the Palestinians under occupation, but settlers who were evacuated and compensated, according to Prof. Stern's remarkable ethical code.
Unlike the settlers, the Haredim are an easy target. There is no greater consensus in secular Israeli society than hatred for them. Criticizing the settlers is controversial, it has a price and it takes courage. Populist politicians build careers on spreading hatred of Haredim, but it is the courts rather than the country's leaders that are taking the lead in changing the norms regarding them.
Without having made any previous attempt to draw closer to them, the courts laying down one ruling after another. The Supreme Court ruled that state-funded stipends for yeshiva students are unfair; it ruled there is intolerable racism in Immanuel; and the army wants to conscript thousands more yeshiva students. All these decisions were right and they were inevitable, but what in tarnation about that other recalcitrant group?
Racism? The settlers are more racist. Violence? The settlers are far more violent. Blatant disregard for the law of the land and maintenance of a separate legal system? More so among the settlers. Enormous budgets? The settlers cost us more, and the Haredim are poorer. Damage to society and state? That caused by the settlers is much more catastrophic, a weeping for generations to quote the Talmud and Ben-Gurion.
The self-isolation of the Haredim within their own world at the state's expense is indeed something in need of change, and manifestations of racism among them must be eradicated. But where are public opinion and the state and its courts, when it comes to the settlers? The Haredim milk the budget, as we so often complain, and the settlers don't?
According to Peace Now, the settlers cost us NIS 2.5 billion per year. For what? For their efforts at thwarting all prospects of peace. That's not more harmful than a yeshiva boy? That's not more dangerous than a Torah student?
The Ashkenazi Haredim treat the Mizrahim abominably. It is racism. But at least it is not violent, like the racism of the settlers toward Palestinians. The Haredim put their women at the back of the bus; the settlers not only bar Palestinians from their buses, but from the entire road at times. The Haredim erect barriers between Ashkenazim and Mizrahim in their schools; the settlers carry out ethnic cleansing under the state's aegis, like that of 25,000 residents of Hebron.
So who's the real racist here? Compared to the settlers' hilltop youth, the yeshiva boys are models of morality. But who gets castigated? The Haredi of course. When will the courts come out against settler racism as they have against Haredi racism? They themselves maintain different systems for penalizing Jews and Arabs. When will we hear about the thousands of fictitious civil service positions held by settlers - a salaried security official in every mobile home - in the same way that we hear about the Haredi parasites? And what about the thousands of soldiers who have to guard the settlers, the superfluous roads that have been built to serve them, the electricity and water supplies laid for illegal outposts? All of it, everything, paid by us, more than we pay for Torah study as a Haredi occupation.
So let's call this evil by its true name: a double standard. Cowardice works too.
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An Israel Police officer and ultra-Orthodox man clash on June 14, 2010. |
| Photo by: Nir Kafri |
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Regardless of the perceived problems that Haredim may or may not cause the population, such hatred as is expressed in this nominally sympathetic (!) article is vile and indefensible. That aside from the blinkard and stereotypical portrayal.
But Gideon Levy is right. Who can say the haredim are doing wrongs, when you support radical settlers who are causing Israel's image to deteriorate by the day? While I agree with the Supreme Court ruling, there is a point in where this must become about equality, and not about getting back at the haredim. Segregation is wrong. Period.
Better the term "ethnic cleansing" were not used. If that is our aim, we are doing a poor job of it; note the increase in Arab population. As for the rest of the article, right on! It would be cheaper to relocate all the settlers and leave the West Bank. As for Haredim,, they receive unequal public resources without equal contribution.
Why, Gideon Levy do you insist on promulgating needless hatred among Jews? I am not religious and although I have issues with the anti-Israel part of the Haredim they are still my brothers and I could not hate them. Your hate of the settlers is blinding you to their many stirling virtues, low crime rate and to the great contribution they make to the defence and economy of our country - political differences notwithstanding. Even you, Gideon Levy are a brother, although it seems that instead of making genuine criticism of the family, you spend your time reviling it and trying to make others join you in your revulsion. You have been remarkably effective but, as you have discovered, you don't have to try very hard to engender hatred.
Thanks Mr. Levy
antisemitic as it has not published my earlier comment
You are more harmful -
Why don't they put parents of students of secular schools who commit violence in school in Jail? The reason is, because you would have to lock up the whole country!
are lurking out of this article who's author tries to do the best. chaval. for example not THE Haredim put their women at the back of the bus but some, yes. i think it's worth to reflect in general why there is so much hatred in israel in general. it's in the streets, it's everywhere, people are shouting at other people for rather little things. i guess the society in general has to do a lot of work.
what is he on about
... we are too busy making-a-living... also leaning how to do that in the most efficacious and civilized way... not much time and energy left over at-the-end-of-the-day, for rushing around and demanding our rights...
danger to Israel because he's inciting to hatred. He is a true antisemite, Those who represent Jewish values, Torah learning and love for this country are his enemies!
Man inherently want to belong to some type of group. Being alone is not "fun". As Gideon has chosen to place himself outside of a Jewish experience, what is left for him is, and he has done this, is to join the socialists. Besides banding together to spend someone else's money, socialist hate other groups, especially when economically things get tough. The greatest dangers to Jews have been from the socialists. How did Nazism and Communism work out through your eyes Gideon? Levy needs to be called for what he is. He offers precious little to the Jewish people.
Wow what a surprise! Levy hates the settlers. They are all, to the last man woman and child, evil racist cancer in our mists according to levy. He may disagree with government policy on which land is legitimately ours or which we should assert our right over but his hatred of the people is just pathological. 99% are hard working, tax paying, army serving citizens that any community within the green line would be thrilled to have in their midst. They do a disproportionate amount of hesed (charitable works) and are disproportionately represented in fighting units and officer corps and volunteer organizations in civil society. Until the intifadas and mass random murder of Jewish residents by palestinian terrorists started, there was a high degree of economic and sometimes even social interaction with their arab neighbors. Once the Jew killing got started (with Levy's understanding of the legitimate motive for the Jew killing) obviously the walls went up for self defense. levy needs therapy for his pathology and Haaretz needs to lose readership for sponsoring his hatred. Enuf is enuf.
The most anti semitic person i've ever met!!!!
It hurts, but those are the plain facts.
Settlers constitute the greatest challenge and the greatest threat to the zionist state. By transforming zionism from a pragmatic liberal national movement into a colonizing racist nationalist one they undermine the Jewish plea of legitimatation in the region. Hanita is not Beit El. Whoever makes that comparision strives to undermine zionist just claims for a nation state.
All this is self evident. But of course those who have preconceived ideas won't think so. Patriotism as love for one's country is natural. Blind patriotism wich makes say: my country right or wrong is lethal and a recipe for disaster.
'cause that would make him a hypocrite.
Draft-dodging, drunk party animals who would rather spread hate than serve in the Army (like the settlers do), or learn Torah (like the haredim *and* settlers do). It's time that outmoded and anti-Jewish attitudes like those of the author are removed from our society. It will only make things better.
They are out to destroy our country.
Socialism has produced the worst kinds of racists. Gideon, you are walking that road.
The arrogance, senseless hared, hypocrisy and racism spewed out by this self hating Jew is unbelievable. The only consolation i have while reading his attacking article, is that in maybe 10-30 years time (??), the writer Gidon Levi will be totally forgotten and gone, Haaretz will be a byline in history books and those standing and living in Israel will be the religious/ultra-orthodox and true Zionist settlers. That's Levis biggest fear -the takeover of this country by people with Jewish values and plenty of children. Goodbye and good riddens Levi.
Very well put, the settler enterprise is far more racist than most Israelis want to admit. But there is no reason why we can't fight on two fronts at the same time - although dealing with the religulous double standards will become far easier once a final peace agreement with the Arab world will have been reached.
Painting an entire community with a broad paint brush... shame on you!!
wow, you make it sound like those settler boys have killed 25,000 Hebronian!!!!! what the heck is wrong with this author? ethnic cleansing??? you should go live in gaza, saudi arabia, sudan...then freaking talk about true ethnic cleansing....oh wait, this is gideon levy, the court joker "jew"...sorry...carry on.
stupidity, ignorance, hatred for other Jews, and slipshod comments. I suppose his mentors, the german master propagandists, taught him well on how to try and manipulate other normal minds to buy into his store of hate and ignorance. thank G-d Levy is so consistent in his foul, slanderous observations, the normal Israeli, including secular ones in the family picture, see his rantings with his fellow calumnists as a mere circus of the macabre- being so far removed from Jewish reality and understanding, they have become the poster children of Jewhaters around the world. who is more harmful than a Levy, and his Haaretz cohorts- in Israel, there is no one else in comparison! Mr. double standard- accept my line or be condemned-Levy, someday, you may be forced to get a real job that requires objectivity and honesty.
Haredim and the settlers need to reflect on the bad image they present to the world : If Israel is, to some extent, to represent world Jewry and to be the one Jewish state -- then what kind of image does that convey to gentiles? Gideon Levy's article tells us that both groups are racist and violent 'self ghettoising' separatist reactionaries, that even secular Jews have had enough of, but are ( in many cases ) afraid to speak out. So what does the Jewish state actually stand for? What does Israel want the world to see? A light unto the nations? What kind of light is that? Moral military forces that carry out 'purity of arms' ? In the light of the Goldstone Report ( which we are told not to believe because it's 'anti Semitic ) and the flotilla bungled raid, what does 'purity of arms' actually mean? And, after reading Shahak and Norton Mezvinsky's studies of Halakha and Talmud, what are gentiles to make of Haredim's attitudes to them? It gets complicated, even when the best of us, gentile and Jews, so dearly want peace and reconciliation.
if only there was some good old antagonism for the settlers like there is for the charedim. gideon is blood thirsty. what he wouldn't do for the people to drool at the mouth with vindictiveness for those who deserve our admiration-the settlers. funny how his supercilious morality condemns a wide spectrum of abuses but allows him to encourage a scourge of the settlers. moral relativity? famous old adage-when you point your one finger then four are pointing back at you.
You are hitting the point, mr Levi
Gideon Levy's opinion is absolutely pathetic. I hope anyone with a brain recogmizes the distortions in Levy's article.
Unfortunately, it appears that "hatred" for the ultra-Orthodox is more politically correct than for settlers. Look to the government for answers to THAT enigma.
I think that the Haredim and their hatred of Zionism is something that Jews are going to have to confront. I am very sympathetic to their views against Zionism.
I am not anti zionistic, I love Israel and have left everything in the US for a hard enjoyable life here. There is a minority of charedim that make a lot of noise and are anti zionists, but the majority are not.
Most Haredim do not hate Israel. The Haredim were here way before the zionist movement started. I think that the left has to stop feeling inferior and therefore feel a need to bash. A typical Haredi teenager DOES NOT create problems. There was just a rally with over 100,000 haredim and there was not one fight or violence. Let's see the left do that.
brlliant, simply brilliant. and alas absolutely right, as i must admit even for my own reactions when i read about the latest crisis involving the haredi. to be a country's conscience is a very fine thing. to be the conscience of those who have a conscience still is better still....