Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai has expressed his deep-rooted fear of the chareidim in Eretz Yisrael becoming a majority and turning Israel into another Saudi Arabia.
The mayor, a pro-secularist and a proponent for expanded bus service in his city on Shabbos remains an outspoken activist against a society resembling Halacha has expressed his latest concern as statistics show the chareidi tzibur growing ahead of other Jewish sectors of Israeli society.
Huldai was interviewed by Yediot Achronot, telling the daily newspaper that he promises voters “There will be increased Shabbos bus service in the city before the end of my term. No one can take away my right to travel on Shabbos. The battle for public transportation on Shabbos is about the character of the state and the time has come to break the status quo with the frum sector”.
“Herzl did not speak of a Jewish state, but of a state of Jews. A state run by Halacha is Iran. If there will be a chareidi majority here, Israel will become like Saudi Arabia”.
The mayor’s words have sent a clear message to some of his coalition partners and they vow to address the challenge and assist him in breaking the religious status quo in the city towards widespread public bus service on Shabbos.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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15 Responses
The small minority of Chareidim in Tel Aviv don’t make too much noise about desecration of Shabbos because their is a status quo that is kept. If they were to protest Chilul Shabbos the public would be up in arms about breaking the status quo. Here the Chilonim are talking openly, not of something which they claim is within the status quo, but of breaking the status quo! There is a great joke regarding a Chareidi that heard the siren go off on Yom Hazikaron and continued walking. A Chiloni standing by was extremely angered and let it out on the man walking. “How dare you?”, He screamed. “Do you not have any honor for those that gave up their life for your safety? I have a child who was killed fighting for the state, and you can’t stand still for one moment?” Calmly the Chareidi man answered, “Slicha (excuse me), but I’m Chiloni!”
We brought these negative feelings upon ourselves! With rock throwing, ‘mehadrin buses’, spitting on little girls and constant acts of violence in the name of Frumkeit…
It is time we show the world and our fellow Jews that Torah means being more refined and kind!
Michael B- “With rock throwing, ‘mehadrin buses’, spitting on little girls and constant acts of violence in the name of Frumkeit…”
You are so right! Divrei Chachamim bNachas Nishmaim. The Charedis you speak of are clearly NOT Chachamim. Polar opposites!
#2, Hashem’s will has to be done even when “refined and kind” doesn’t work. Remember Sdom?
And better Saudi Arabia than Sdom. At least they care about tznius.
Loyal Jew, are you saying that its Hashem’s will to spit on little girls, throw rocks and commit other acts of violence?
Proof perfect of Chareidi education gone sour.
mmm…Interesting….
to the staunch supporters of the state of Israel (or should I say of ‘the state of jews’)…how about the initial goal and purpose of the state ‘to keep the jews safe in galus’ I don’t suppose we can say those that set up this state have acheived this goal?!?!?
I guess Huldai and his cronies don’t remember saying na’aseh v’nishma at Har Sinai with the rest of us.
Huldai and his ilk have already turned Israel into Germany……
In my opinion, there is NOBODY nowadays who actually knows what’s going on.
We brought these negative feelings upon ourselves because we are busy all day condemning the secular Jews in Israel while taking all their money we should be able to sit around and not get an education to support ourselves this is really sad and creating a big chilul hashem around the world ,when they see we live off all these programs while not contributing At all to society.
and please don’t give me these excuses about contributing by learning everybody knows that the gemorah says clearly we should tech our children a profession to be able to support themselves and we all know that 60% of men are not cut out for full time learning that’s a fact so we might as well give them the means of supporting themselves why not build frum Jewish medical schools why not create frum Jewish law schools why not create frum Jewish architecture schools and give people a means to support themselves respectfully.
So it would be logical that he demand that Hareidim be excluded from the IDF????
The Hilonim can be a ruling class that tolerates the frum minority and puts up with the frum community’s self-segregation and autonomy (even if it means distinct public services and exemption from conscription). The Hilonim could give up the idea of ruling Israel and resign themselves to be a minority group. But if they continue their war on the Bnei Torah, their medinah is doomed.
To Akuperma & Israellakewood.
Akuperma – Their Medina is doomed anyway because it’s establishment and it’s very existence are a continuing violation of the Hashem’s gzeira of Golus and we have absolutely no business participating with them on any level.
Israellakewood – Yes. You are right we should support ourselves and we have absolutely no business taking money from their state. It is a terrible Chillul Hashem. We can do all the things which you have mentioned, but not in the context of the Zionist state.
#6, before those things happened, all kinds of darchei noam were tried. We’re up against a coordinated offensive by the erev rav and it’s pikuach nefesh to save the Jewish souls that they are endangering. One can’t limit pikuach nefesh to methods that are refined and kind.