Haredim: Israel's Burden

Being a passionate religious believer is quite okay. Especially in Israel, where it has declared itself the "home for Jews." The Haredim, or ultra-Orthodox population have taken their religious beliefs to another level. They rely heavily on donations and Government subsidies to get by. Only 37% of haredi men work, as opposed to around 80% of the secular men. Which means that taxes collected from all the Israeli citizens go as "hand-outs" to 63% of Haredi men who CHOOSE not to work. Among women, about 49% of haredi women are employed, while 70% of secular women work. All the while Haredim society is living outside of "normal" Israeli society. Benjamin, from the chapter on The Haredim, says, "The spiritual wealth of learning Talmud is worth more than any paycheck." Thats easy to say when you rely on OTHER PEOPLE for money. In America there is a saying, "no free lunches," luckily for most of the Haredim they dont live in America...

The Haredim sure love their exemption from military service as well. With the urging of Rabbi Schach, "Ben-Gurion introduced military deferments in 1954, they applied to about four-hundred students; by 2008, deferments were granted to over fifty thousand draft-age yeshiva students" (The Israelis, 186). It is predicted that by 2020, "the number of ultra-Orthodox Israelis will double and make up 17 percent of the total population" (The Israelis, 186). In a country constantly at war, where "every" Israeli citizen is obligated for military service, it is not fare to the people who are required to serve. If in fact the number of Haredim continues to rise, "the fewer potential soldiers, and the fewer taxpayers." This could be detrimental to Israel's long-term survival and a heavier burden on the secular population.

In a poll conducted by the Gesher organization, they found that 37% of Israelis said the Haredim was the most hated group in all of Israel. This percentage was more than double that of the Soviet immigrants. One story from A People's Army chapter goes like this: "When a reservist's father stopped to give a hitchhiking soldier a lift, an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student also tried to get into the car. "Sorry, I only give rides to Israelis who serve in the army," the father told him. "But I serve in the army of God," the ultra-Orthodox student said. "Good," the father answered. "So ask God for a ride." (The Israelis, 54). The "Jewish-Jewish-Jewish" Haredim confine themselves to be only around each other, but try and impose their beliefs on the general public...why do they care if OTHER PEOPLE dont eat kosher or drive on the sabbath?

The Haredim having been stirring up trouble as of late. At the Intel factory, Haredi men were protesting the fact that Intel hired dozens of workers to work on Saturday (The day in which the Haredim is not supposed to be doing alot of anything). "After almost two hours of relative calm, hundreds of the demonstrators began attacking reporters covering the protest. The haredim hurled gravel and various other objects at the journalists."

The Israelis have made great strides in trying to accomidate the Haredim: technology such as electric milking machines and "Shabbat elevators." On Shabbat, a "real Jew" cant even "pull a twig off a tree, because of the biblical injunction that forbids "reaping" (The Israelis, 191). I guess throwing gravel and stones at people and cars is okay though...

The video below shows instances of the Haredim stirring up trouble against secular people in Israel, and also how ignorant THEY are to the outside world. They get their news from posters on a wall, hung up by who? Haredi Jews!