Prominent Israeli journalist Yaron London was interviewed on Kol Chai Radio’s Noam Zigman on Tuesday evening, after being invited on the air to explain his scathing column appearing in the daily Yediot Achronot against the chareidi tzibur at large. Following is the major portions of the interview.

London:

I did not attack chareidim. They too are people as you are a person. I did however attack the chareidism, the way of life.

KC:

It led to the Facebook calls for a Holocaust against the chareidi tzibur.

London:

There are always the lunatics out there, the fringe elements, the potential assassins and criminal and they will always say what they want without thought.

I think the chareidim as a tzibur today endangers the future of the State of Israel. The chareidi tzibur, which follows a certain hashkafa, feels it cannot take part in the burden that is the life of the Israeli people. The percentage of working chareidim is lower than the non-chareidi. This is based on the statistics I use, provided by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS).

Yes, it is quite possible that some chareidim do not give honest responses to census officials and these stats are off, but I base my comments on the CBS nonetheless. We are country that must succeed and prosper. Everyone benefits from the basic infrastructure, such as roads, yet the chareidi tzibur is not carrying its load. The demographic realities, primarily the birthrate simply states the community is not paying its way. The economic development in the same community however is not in line with the birthrate and therefore, the community is simply incapable of paying its own expenses and this must be picked up by others like me.

KC:

I am their mouthpiece and I am chareidi, and I believe I pay for you no less than you feel you pay for me and other chareidim. you are making very broad generalizations. The CBS is not talking about 70-80% of chareidim but you are.

London:

When you are addressing social issues, one must speak in generalizations.

KC:

Do you want us, the chareidim to make generalizations about the chiloni tzibur? The chilonim are murderers. What about the Arabs? They are terrorists!

London:

You are correct from that perspective and yes, statistically speaking, there are more terrorists among the Arabs than other sectors.

KC:

Yes, but regarding the Arabs, you would not dare to write a piece like that as you did regarding the chareidim. Why don’t you address us as you do the other minority populations instead of the sweeping generalizations?

London:

I can tell you for example that there are more chareidim involved in white collar crimes or if an elected official is in trouble with the law, it is more likely to be a chareidi.

KC:

Not every defendant appearing before a court of law with a yarmulke is a chareidi.

London:

Of course. Once he get into trouble he is not longer one of you. I cannot say the same since if a chiloni stands before the court I cannot say he is no longer chiloni. I do not enjoy the same luxury you do.

This conversation is beginning to degenerate and it is not going anywhere. We can speak forever but we are not making any progress. You can continue telling me how you work, the same as I do, but this is not the point. This is not personal and the statistics speak for themselves. This was the point of my column. You invited me to speak. I did not ask to appear on your show.

KC: Yes you are correct, and thank you. We all read the article in Yediot Achronot but I wanted to ask questions, seeking an explanation. Would you now prefer that the column never was published?

London:

One of the websites, Shofar, called to eliminate me, comparing me to Hitler. What can I say…

KC:

These guys are a small fringe element.

London:

Glad to hear but many read the website for if not, it would not have received the widespread publicity that it received. In my column I thought of the English word, “shrink” and that is what I used. Many interpreted this as “eliminate” but that was not my intention. Would you have preferred a different word?

KC:

No not at all. But I would have preferred that the column was never published. At the end of the day we are all one, part of a very small people and when the Jews are under attack, we unite but unfortunately, short of that – look where we are here today.

London:

There is an important ideological battle at the core of the dispute. This surrounds the future of our nation and our right to exist. The chareidi world in a modern society poses a real danger to the country. You can call it hate if you wish, but the fact is I do not hate you. nevertheless, people believe you are trying to impose your ways on us, the nation, and this represents an existential threat to the future of our nation. You simply fail to fulfill your obligation as an Israeli, as a partner in the nation. I don’t know how many children you have. You send your children to learn and become torah scholars and rabbis. He will do great things while I have to support him, me and the others like me while we also have to defend the nation. Yes, he sits and learns gemara and your sincerely believe that his merit provides us with an umbrella of protection but I do not agree. I do not see it this way.

…Your community does not have journalists. You must confer with an admor and he decides and you then write what he says.

KC:

Any you don’t have an editor?

London:

I have been working with Yediot for over 20 years and the newspaper has never, never scrapped a column. In this case, the newspaper would have preferred that this was never published yet it was.

KC:

The newspaper is getting ratings. It is pleased.

London:

No, you are wrong but nonetheless it appeared.

KC:

I am sorry about one thing. I was hoping that the conversation, the interview would have led to an understanding but it has not.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)