Piousness vs patriots
The Algemeiner spoke about Haredis who not only don't serve in the army, they've even turned to flag-burning:
As Israel celebrated its 66th Independence Day earlier this week, dozens of ultra-Orthodox (haredi) youth exploited their democratic right to freely assemble by ripping down and destroying Israeli flags, blocking roads, and protesting against the Jewish state.Yet they flatly refuse to acknowledge any of this, one of the most bewildering things about their customs.
Such outbursts have developed into a sad phenomenon, with demonstrations against Jewish sovereignty becoming more frequent and more heated as the Israeli government has taken steps to enlist the country’s able-bodied ultra-Orthodox men into the Israel Defense Forces. [...]
Of course, Haredi leaders will counter that the Jews can only rightfully return to Israel and self-government after the Messiah comes.
Yet the worldview espoused for decades by many influential ultra-Orthodox Jews has to date done less to pave the way for the arrival of the anointed one and more to foster a crippling culture of dependence. [...]
As history has repeatedly shown, any system that is dependent on private and government subsidies is ultimately doomed for failure.
Or, to cite a slightly older source: “Strengthen him [the poor person] so that he does not fall [as distinct from the one who has already become poor] and become dependent on others.” (Leviticus 25:35)
Jewish tradition elegantly eschews any contradiction between piety and patriotism.
Labels: haredi corruption, Israel, military, Moonbattery
