On Thursday night, the closing session of the President’s Conference was held in the Jerusalem Convention Center. Seated on the panel were Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Interior Minister Eli Yishai and opposition leader [and former Foreign Minister] Tzipi Livni.
Barak stated we must stop blaming ourselves for the failures of the diplomatic process, referring to peace-making efforts with Israel’s neighbors.
The minister then shifted to make reference to religious matters, explaining “we must not be ashamed of our Jewishness”. The minister stated they we are all aware that assimilation is a threat, questioning what the solution is. The minister expressed his belief, that “openness” is the response. He added that anyone who opens a Talmud or the Torah sees “minds that simply do not exist today”.
“I respect the Orthodox community because without chareidi Jewry we will not survive. Today we must find a way not to lose part of the Jewish people”.
Yishai addressed comments pertaining to accommodating giyurim, explaining he does not oppose relaxing restrictions associated with conversions but this can only be done within a halachic framework, explaining that if chas v’sholom this is not the case, it will only increase assimilation.
The audience booed Yishai, an audience made up of primarily American non-frum Jews, after he blamed the Reform Movement for the rapidly growing assimilation and the loss of members of Am Yisrael.
The minister stood firm, telling the audience this is not his opinion, but statements based on statistics that tell it like it is.
‘Rabbi’ Gilad Kariv, who is affiliated with the Reform Movement, told the media that booing Yishai was an appropriate response, insisting that for 200 years, the Reform Movement has been working and as a result of its efforts, there is less assimilation than there would be otherwise.
He added, “Instead of dealing with America’s Judaism’s affairs, Minister Yishai should deal with the huge damage his party is causing to the image of Judaism in Israel and to its incorruptibility, and to the desire of millions of Israelis to become familiar with their culture and tradition. We are calling on the president, who is hosting Minister Yishai at his conference, to firmly voice his objection to these remarks.”
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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10 Responses
For Ehud Barak to defend the chareidim is a miracle. Moshiach must be coming!
“working and as a result of its efforts, there is less assimilation than there would be otherwise”
less assimilation doesn’t mean less people refer to themselves as jewish it means less people that marry outside of hudaism
i meant judaism
#1, Barak is not the one to convince moshiach when to come.
I didn’t even think like that #4 frielach. Why would you even infer such a thing in my post?
Give credit when its due.
with no caveats
Barak meant he needs the chareidim for HIM to survive all his stupid decisions. This way he can blame the CHAREIDM for anything and everything
The reform and conservative movements are a disease born in galus germany and galus america. They must not be allowed to gain any credibilty in Eretz Yisrael where people don’t even understand the danger they represent. In E”Y many really think they are legitimate ways of being good “observant” Jews, without all the “difficult, extreme, out-of-date” legalistic prohibitions. Frei Yidden in Eretz Yisrael need to be taught what authentic Judaism really is, and not be misled by these bogus “movements”.
This Kariv Shmoiger sees Yishai as his biggest problem.
He is inciting the Oilam to “boo” him & the conference president to object him “with a firm voice”.
What a nobody!
“deal with the huge damage religious political parties are causing to the image of Judaism in Israel and to its incorruptibility”
What Yishei said was/is correct? YET cleaning up our own daled amos is just as important. How does it look to searching/secular/assimilated/ Jews certain actions that are played out by religious political individuals……