Header yeshiva roshei yeshiva and administrators are learning that the planned national government cuts by the treasury don’t single out chareidim, but will deliver a serious blow to the dati leumi yeshivot gevoha and hesder yeshivot as well.
While many in the dati leumi community supported the new legislation to draft bnei Torah from the chareidi tzibur, it would now appear that the government’s plan for cutting funds to mosdos Torah is not striking chareidi mosdos exclusively.
An urgent kenos is planned to take place on Wednesday, 13 Sivan 5773 at 14:00 in the Youth Hostel in Bayit Behan. Ads for the event call on hesder administrators, rabbonim and supporters to attend as they will discuss the bleak situation and seek to reach agreement on a course of action.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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Perhaps they should consider the famous quote from Martin Niemoller (a German nazi who had a change of heart and ended up in prison for most of the war): “First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a communist; Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak outbecause I was not a socialist; Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew; Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Do the Religious Zionists believe that by allying against the Hareidim with those who make opposition of Torah and Mitsvos the “ikar” of their platform, they will be safe? Are they now realizing that trying to ban one type of yeshiva and force the students to give up learning and/or mass imprison them will NOT satisfy the enemies of Torah. That to those who see learning Torah as something to be erradicated, Mosad ha-Rav Kook is just as much a problem as Mir. If the Religious Zionists withdraw from the war against the hareidim, that war will end, immediately.
#1. I know the concept of fiscal responsibility is an alien concept. You make it seem like only Torah schools are being cut. They are cutting the military too, which is far more dangerous to do given the current environment.
It’s just possible that segments of Chareidi society who are not learning and just goofing off could work and pay taxes, the cuts wouldn’t be necessary.
You you like modest cuts to be pushed off, in exchange for more drastic cuts later? That makes sense….just like U.S. fiscal policy…off the cliff.
#1- fiscal responsibility is not part of Jewish tradition – probably since in the past we usually had tax rates approaching or in excess of 100% (i.e. the government comes and takes all your property) – meaning that investments in learning Torah, or spending disposable income on tsadakah (which gave you a favorable reputation when you need tsadakah) were rational. It’s no shock that almost all Israelis (and most American Jews) are Keynesians or even socialists – just no the proud announcements on YWN of new unaffordable services and the whining if anything is cut back.
Lapid and Bennett initially claimed that by persecuting Hareidim they could solve all of their economic problems. Such “scapegoating” is a common technique in many countries. It backfires when it turns out that the scapegoat isn’t the real problem (which in Israel’s case, involves most Israelis getting used to a standard of living and of welfare state benefits that they can’t afford). To a large extent, the war on the Bnei Torah is an attempt to divert people from real problems, and it is rather clear that the Dati Leumi camp “fell for it” and believe they wouldn’t be adversely affected if they stabbed the haredim in the back.