Speaking to Channel 99, MK (Yahadut Hatorah) Yisrael Eichler explained that for him personally, being in opposition is more attractive than being in the coalition, however, he points out that unlike Meretz, the constituents of the chareidi parties will suffer. Eichler explained that when MK Zahava Gal-on remains in opposition, her children and their voters will receive government services but when chareidi parties remain in opposition, their constituents are totally ignored and “their basic rights will be trampled”.
Eichler explained that Agudas Yisrael was in opposition for 20 years, and since 1977, the party was in the coalition most of the time. Eichler lamented the fact that when the chareidim are sent to the opposition as it appears will be the case in the new coalition, the tzibur at large will suffer because there will not be anyone interested in protecting the rights of this segment of the population. He insists that everything the chareidim receive is reported in a negative light while other sectors of the nation receive the same and in most case, significantly more.
Eichler attempted to stress this is the calamity of the chareidim remaining in opposition more than Meretz or other parties, for Meretz and others are not abandoned to the same extent the chareidim will be.
He added that the Reform Movement invests “hundreds of millions in the media campaign to delegitimize chareidim” and the results are evident by the position taken by the EU and other countries, and unfortunately, the chareidi PR mechanism is poor and this is evident by the current reality. Eichler also accused the Central Bureau of Statistics of lying, insisting many more chareidim are found in the workplace than stated in the official statistics.
“There is a majority that sits and learns full time while most of our tzibur works, works very hard and tries to earn a living while the government steals our money and this is due to our poor PR towards showing just what the chareidi community really is.”
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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24 Responses
This doesn’t make sense: “There is a majority that sits and learns full time while most of our tzibur works”.
Also, I’d like to know what he means by “the government steals our money”. The chareidim in the government are Ganuuuuuvim too?
Typo here?
“There is a majority that sits and learns full time while most of our tzibur works”
In the same sentence….
“Majority” sits and learns….
“Most” work…
Shabby writting… or is this is what he really said?
Yes we’ll suffer financially, but at least, our dear Bochurum will not have to go to the army and fight in those dangerous battle-zones.
Leave it up to the Gedolim, they know what’s best for us.
The article ends with “There is a majority that sits and learns full time while most of our tzibur works, works very hard and tries to earn a living while the government steals our money and this is due to our poor PR towards showing just what the chareidi community really is.”
This needs to be clarified: Does the majority learn or do most work? How can one kehilla have two רוב
I think that R Eichler is not telling the truth. The reason why we the frum Oilem have such a bad rap is that we do not face up to the undisputable fact that many thousand are not learning and using the yeshiva as an excuse not to go to the Army.
It is inexcusable why yeshivas Mir should not make a prayer for the “chayalim”. If there are halochos that we have to give charity to Goyim so as not cause “Eiva” how much more so should there be common sense not to cause “sinas hoachim” and say the tefila or make a new tefila fo chayalim.
It is shameful of our frum brethern in Israel to play Satmar chasidim and to want to partake of the benefits of the medine, the time has come to face the facts. If you dont want the Tziyonim move away.
I recently read a story that the Esteipler went to the Russian Army he didnt say “kill me” yehoreg val yavor but he went – hundreds of gerer chasidim went to the russian army as evidenced by the correspodence of the sfas emes with them. the sfas emes didnt say yehoreg val yavor!
We must come up with a system whereby the frum oilom should say Yes we will go to the Army but to an army which can accomadate our religious needs.
If Eichler and Gafni and Shass would be honest and have the right “hazbara” this entire thing would have not happened. Ultimatly they tghink that the yeshivas will put the burden on American Jews but this will not work as we American frum Jews know that the system does not work – so fix it!!
“There is a majority that sits and learns full time while most of our tzibur works..”
How can a MAJORITY sit and learn, while MOST are working? which is it?
Actually their being in opposition is irrelevant. They will suffer from loss of patronage, and because a Likud-Bayit Yehudi-Yesh Atid coalition will be very conservative in economics and will cut back on the welfare state. Whereas yeshiva stipends are quite small, the welfare state benefits are quite big. Whether they make sense in terms of economics is debateable, but many hareidim (and others) depend on them and cutting back the welfare state will hurt.
Assuming Israel doesn’t self-destruct over conscription, support for the welfare state will probably be the big issue in the future, with the hareidim joined with the socialists and Arabs, against the economic conservatives.
Ader, are you trying to be cynical with all your comments?
Yes, our Gedolim know that fighting in those battle-zones are dangerous for our neshomos. Do you know that 20% !!! of religious boys come out of there Jewish goyim?
#5 “many thousand are not learning and using the yeshiva as an excuse not to go to the Army.”
That’s right because that’s the only way to stay frum. Do you know what the IDF looks like? Hashem Yishmor!
“If you dont want the Tziyonim move away.”
What a silly comment. Instead you should have written don’t accept money from the government. But why shouldn’t they if Arabs get funded for not serving too?
Chareidim have been living in Israel hundreds of years before the Zionists arrived, why should they move away? If anyone should move, it’s the Zionists who are destroying the Jewish land.
“I recently read a story that the Esteipler went to the Russian Army he didnt say “kill me” yehoreg val yavor but he went – hundreds of gerer chasidim went to the russian army as evidenced by the correspodence of the sfas emes with them. the sfas emes didnt say yehoreg val yavor!” Where did you pick up these lies from? It was just the opposite, most charedi boys did not serve.
Charedim were living peacefully and quietly in EY before the tzioinim came along. It wasn’t the greatest life, but life wasn’t too good anywhere in those days. The Arabs were even willing to sell us land, as we made it clear we had no desire to do anything but make room for ourselves to live in peace as our numbers grew.
The tzioinim not only started with the British and the Arabs, but they mocked us and, like the misyovnim of old, tried to tear us away from Torah. They were nothing but schnorrers, and they were getting money to buy land for illegal purposes.
Now, they want us to join them in defending them against the neighbors with whom we lived in peace until they came along.
The entire country will suffer. Israelis won’t have support from America, with Obama and Hagel in charge and they won’t have the support of Torah.
Is it at all POSSIBLE that had there been a state that freely allowed Jews to enter from 1939-1945 (whereas no other country allowed more than a tiny number to do so) many would have not perished in the Holocaust? All I ask is if it is at least possible.
Hey “About Time”:
The Chareidim weren’t exactly living peacefully and quietly in EY before the tziyonim came along.
Does the 1929 massacre in Chevron, Yerushalayim, and other parts of Eretz Yisrael ring a bell?
The non-Zionist Chevron bochurim were slaughtered by the Arabs. And the “peace-keeping” British soldiers did nothing to stop the Arabs from their onslaught.
Please don’t revise history.
#5
To use analogy from Animal Farm:
Chareidim refuse to be ‘Boxer’ to your pigs
It is clear that About Time and Athought (and apukerma)follow a very different hashkofo than the majority of chareidim. This is their right but it is not their right to falsify facts-as they say, you are entitled to your opinion but you are not entitled to your facts.
It is utterly false that 20% of frum jews who enter the army come out not religious. I don’t believe it for one moment.On the contrary, more jews enter non-religious and come out frum.
To say “that the Zionists are destroying the Jewish land’ is “a grobben liggen” , the big lie. All you have to do is see how Eretz Yisroel ooked like onw hudnred years (and more) to see how false this statement is.
Lastly, if you think that -as Athought asserts- it would have been a nice life under the Arabs in today’s world, just check out Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Itaq…etc, and you will see how nice life is there for anyone who is not a Moslem.
#9 , that’s not true. The Chareidim of the Old Yishuv needed to make their own army in order to defend themselves against the Arabs..they too tried to settle the land. They were the real pioneers.. they were the ones that nobody talks about. The zionists knew that and that is why they squashed their efforts.. just read “guardian of Jerusalem” published by artscroll.
reply to #8
Dont call me a liar caLL YOURSELF AN AM HAARETZ THE STORY OF GER IS FAMOUS YOU CAN ASK ANY GERRER CHOSID THE STORY OF THE ESTEIPLER IS WRITTEN UP IN SPLENDOR OF THE MAGGID BY RABBI PEYSACH KROHN AND WAS TROLD OVER BY REBBETZIN GREINEMANN THE SISTER IN LAW OF THE ESTEIPLER.
RE: YOUR CLAIM THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE A FRUM JEW IN THE ISRAELI ARMY- FIRSTLY THIS IS NOT TRUE AND SECONDLY THE AS I SAID THE GEDOLIM SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT WE WANT OUR BOYS IN THE ARMY BUT THE ARMY HAS TO MAKE ACCOMADATION THIS WAS NOT SAID AS IT HAS BECOME THE BELIEF THAT THAT IF YOU ARE CHAREIDI YOU DONT HAVE TO SERVE THIS IS WRONG! I DON’T KNOW WHO YOU ARE BUT YOU SHOULD RETHINK BEFORE YOU CALL SOMEONE A LIAR!
WE THE FRUM OILEM MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE REALITY THAT OUR BLOOD IS NOT MORE WORTHY THEN THEIRS – THOSE WHO TRULY LEARN SHOULD DO SO AND THOSE WHO DONT SHOULD DO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE IS EXCPECTED TO DO.
IN SWITZERLAND THERE IS CONCRITION AND IF YOU WAQNT TO LIVE THERE YOU MUST GO TO THE ARMY NO ONE GIVES YOU CONSIDERATION FOR YOUR FRUM KEIT AND RELIGIOUS PEOPLE GO TO THE ARMY AND SO ON AND ON.
ROB- I have long stated that this is false. When my brother did his basic training 30 years ago, he had a career colonel court-martialed becaude he violated IDF REGULATIONS that stated that no one is permitted to bring anything milchig into a fleishig mess tent. In the field, they only had fleishig mess tents and if you wanted to eat milchigs, you had to eat it outside. This colonel decided to bring a leben inside the tent and my brother asked him politely to remove it. He refused and my brother brought him up on charges. He was BOOTED OUT OF THE IDF! (by 3 non-religious army judges, btw). The very same IDF that so many here are (akuperma et al) claiming is in business to make young men into chilonim. It is sheker gamur!
I also have 42 nephews who served in the IDF. Not one was EVER asked to violate halacha.
One last fact for the liars out there: My brother is now a Rav in Yerushalayim. His milu’im consists of giving gemara shiurim at an air force base and kashering kitchens for Pesach. Now why in the world would an outfit that is so determined to produce chilonim, need gemara shiurim and kitchens that are kosher for Pesach?
Eichler needs a waaa-mbulance.
To those who doubt the gedolim and the truth about the Zionist army: it says to believe them when they say right is left and left is right, and you all know it. So all the anecdotes about keeping halacha in the army are false. Period.
#18- What do you call having bochurim being examined by women instead of men when there are men who can do so? What do you call it when bochurim are asked if they are gay because they do not want women to examine them? I just read this on ynet yesterday!!
chareidirbs – I call it insensitivity that calls for additional training and accomodation. In fact, a solution to this issue was found when it was raised with the IDF. When reasonable requests are made, they are generally accomodated. It’s the flat-out refusal to even sit down and talk that is so off-putting to the majority of Israelis.
an Israeli Yid
I think its necessary to recap:
The frum view should be:
1) Those who do not really learn have to go to the Army or do National Service.
2) Once Chareidim show the willingness to go to the Army the Army will have to make the adjustments to satisfy all halachic demands
3) let us not forget already now hundreds if not thousands of shomrei tora umitzvos are serving in the Army
4)The Yeshiva world has to make sure not to incite sinas chinam – we are and should be held to a higher standard and therefrore it is not comprehensible to me why one should not pray for Chayalim in Yeshivos. ( I spoke to a number of Rabbonim in the US regarding this and all of them told me privatly that it is a “shande”. the only ones against are satmarers)
5) The chareidi oilem in Israel will have to wake up to the fact that there is a difference between the Israeli Arabs who are a security risk for the State and the Chareidim who are supposed to be “Noise Boilo shel Chaveiroi”
6)There is no Yehoreig Val Yavor on this issue and this will leave to a terrible civil war –
Let us all daven that it will not come to that