Nechemia Strassler, a veteran opponent of the chareidi community to put it mildly, has another plan, and as usual, he uses his column in the daily Haaretz to spread his venomous words.
A translation of the column appears below (without all the profanity the writer so beautifully used to hammer home his hatred):
The avreich who instilled fear in the small girl heading to school should be praised. Those who spit at and curse passersby should also be praised. Even the chareidi who labeled the female soldier (with words unfit for YWN) should be praised, along with those who wore concentration camp uniforms and yellow stars.
Perhaps, all of these examples will finally shake the silent chiloni majority of Israel. Perhaps these actions will compel the 90% of the country to understand that condemnations are futile as is putting these people on trial for one must realize these acts are just symptoms of the serious illness. One who deals with the symptoms alone wastes one’s time and contributes to spread of the disease.
The Illness
The illness is called chareidi education, a method in which the chareidi young are brain-washed to the core. They are taught to believe that democratic rule is a bad thing, and an equal right for women is simply treif, as is freedom. Humanism is only for the goyim who learn mathematics, English and history, all regarded as avoda zara. To applaud those who get out into the world and earn a livelihood is an embarrassment. IDF service is a disgrace, fit only for the secular – for only he is enough a fool to sacrifice his life for the Homeland.
The chareidi youth are taught to look down upon the values of the secular state. Therefore, they don’t have any problem frightening a small child or calling policemen ‘Nazis’. Their leaders have a clearly defined goal; to provide their tzibur with quality of life on the backs of others, the chiloni. He can work hard and pay taxes and sacrifice his life in the IDF towards enabling them to evade these responsibilities and to continue embezzling the state.
What is particularly disturbing and infuriating is the fact that this process is supported and financed by the chiloni majority, the fools. They receive state budgets, as well as grants, and at times, the latter is significantly larger than a university student or career IDF soldier/officer would receive. Ditto regarding medical students or engineering students, who receive less. The chiloni tzibur is committing suicide by wiping itself out by its own hand, slowly but surely.
And now, in light of the events in Beit Shemesh, the prime minister announces his proposal for a solution. He envisions two cities, one mixed; religious and chiloni, and the other only chareidi. Eli Yishai, a Shas leader, of course is opposed. Yishai understands that such a chareidi city has no right to exist, for it would be a city without an income, without arnona property tax, without industry and business. Without the chiloni-religious supporting such a city there simply will not be funds available for the large families and there will be no funds available for their educational institutions, the healthcare, social services, shuls, yeshivot and kollelim.
Beit Shemesh is now planning a new area containing 25,000 units. The state is earmarking this new area in its entirety for the chareidi sector with attractive rates, permitting one to get the land at half price, in contradiction to the recommendations of the Trachtenberg Committee. This is in addition to other tax incentives they receive, all on the backs of the taxpayer, the chiloni and religious [referring to frum non-chareidi/ dati leumi].
Just last week, Yishai proposed changes in arnona property tax, resulting in yet additional reductions for low income large families, i.e., chareidim. The extortion continues.
The Solution
Therefore, we must stop treating symptoms and we must cure the disease. That is to say we must cut all funding to the Chinuch Atzmai, Agudas Yisrael and Shas educational institutions and to compel the children to attend schools with the general curriculum. France would be an example of such a system. One who wishes may teach one’s children Mishnah and Talmud during the after school hours, after school.
In addition, all the draft evaders must be inducted into the IDF for three years like all other citizens because we are all responsible for defending our country. All budgetary support for yeshivot and kollelim must end, compelling the chareidim to get out and work. This was also the case in Poland and Morocco, where Jews never dreamt of life as parasites, living at the expense of others.
Realizing however where we are living, and the calculations of Binyamin Netanyahu, I know there isn’t a chance this will occur and the plea will fall on deaf ears. Therefore, we will continue falling into the slow but steady process of suicide.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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14 Responses
The sad part in this whole tragedy is that neither side will ever contemplate that there is some right to the the other side’s arguments. Strassler may indeed have written some very intemperate words (I have not read the original) but he makes some very valid points. On the other hand, he is totally mistaken in not wanting to recognize the contributions of the religious-even charedi-side.
BOTH sides must unite agaisnt the extremists- from the left AND from the right.
And The Yeshiva World News still has the chutzpah of providing its readers almost daily with news articles of this hatefull newspaper called Haaretz.
As awful as this harsh view is about chareidim, isn’t it possible that this is a wake up call to try harder than ever to make a Kiddush Hashem with every opportunity we have to secular Yidden? Even in the streets of Yerushalayim as they look at us with such judgment, we should try our hardest to be friendly to these people.
If Nechemia Strassler saw the wonderful examples of derech eretz and general ahavas yisroel etc, he couldn’t say such things!
beautiful. the Gaon writes at length about the hatred of talmidei chachamim right before mashiach comes….(i guess that includes many bloggers on this site….)
The only words that can be said is Hashem Yerachem. Unfortunately there is enough blame to go around but that will not solve this deep rooted problem. Hashem Yerachem.
***YOU YWN*** YOU ARE NO LESS OF A CHAREDI BASHER THAN THIS STRASSLER!!!!!
I’m waiting for Akuperma’s comment. It’s usually right on the money.
All I can say is “Tatta look at your Kinder. When we despise each other for silly reasons, there is no future and nothing else to hope for but the Geulah Shlayma”
The left is lost. Where is Shinui, where is Meretz? What happened to Oslo and Gush Katif? The left philosophy is dead weight in Israel.
Only if the left can stimulate the youth and middle voters on something so unimportant as charadi education and work them up into an emotional state can they actually have any hope in the next elections.
With out this hatred the left is lost, dead and gone.
In a day of Fast, we must remember, what led to the 2nd Chorbun.
Right after the days of Chanukah the Romans became in control, of all of Eretz Yisroel.
There was lots of in-fighting, and murders, between many many factions of the Yidden R”L.
Since the Romans were actually in charge, and felt responsible, they invaded E”Y, were Machriv the B”H, and killed all those that tried to oppose them.
The Romans also decided that it was Religion that causes all these divisions and fighting, so they forbade the learning of the Torah R”L.
it is hard to beleive that ywn which should represent the “torah perspective” is bothering to post articles that are filled with hatred and useless information. Have you lost the focus of your purpose? Look back at the last three weeks and count how many articles have something if anything to do with what going on in “the yeshiva world” . There are people who come to this website once an hour and you have the opportunity to either have wonderful articles , or to post absolute trash and stupidities. You are falling prey to lashon horah, motzei shem rah,etc. Please dont waste your chances to inspire and assist the yeshiva world to become better people and not gossip frieks!!!
Ader;
Sorry but you got the history part wrong in many ways, but the point of Sinas Chinam is pretty dead on.
However I think it’s worthwhile to look back at what the Torah actually views as “Machlokes.
You see Rabbeinu Yonah in Sharei Teshuvah (Shaar Shlishi Ois Nun CHes) writes clearly that one is prohibited from being involved in machlokes.
The next thing he writes is that One who does not engage in machlokes with those who are going in the wrong path is blaimed for those sins.
Oh and whether there should be Tznius patrols and such?
Rabbeinu Yonah (also in Shaar Shlishi ois Ayin Gimmel)writes “it is proper that men should be chosen to be on in charge of watching over all stoers and neighborhoods, to watch over their neighbors and rebuke them for all wrongdoings.
Please understand that I am not coming to show whether or not I agree with Gedolim who have and do decide such things, I don’t have that level of stupidity.
Rather I am merely pointing out how “new” such things are to Klal Yisroel.
I mean Sharei Teshuvah is reletivley new and obscure sefer.
dito to #6 & #10
#1 I agree. He does highlight some real problems but his cure is way off. However his tone and method is counterproductive.
#4 Why must you resort to calling people haters of Talmeidi Chachamim. Why cant you argue the points in a respectable manner? It is this type of bitul that causes violent kanoyus.
I understand how the “solution” is off but someone please explain the inaccuracies with his description of the “illness”.