More and more citizens woke up. Secular, religious and ultra-Orthodox Israelis, producers and taxpayers, ask themselves why they are forced to subsidize the lifestyle of others. Moreover, they ask: Why, despite bearing the burden and restraint do some of the leaders of the non-productive public condemn and whitewash the face of the public that finances them? In recent months, this question hasn't just remained at the level of steam of living room conversations and family dinners.
As a secular, liberal and feminist Jewish woman who is proud of her Jewish heritage, I am not willing for any group to tell me that I am less good, less moral or less worthy because I do not belong to it. Certainly not if its members are fed by my labor money. For years I took a conciliatory stance towards the Orthodox establishment, cooperated with the illusion of unity, closed my eyes in the belief that it served the survival of the complex social mosaic, but recent times have brought disillusionment.
Appeasing unproductive society fuels an insatiable hunger for power on its part, a veiled hunger and a hidden hunger. A forceful stance based on a sense of religious superiority and victimization.
Tolerance eroded
Israel was established as a Jewish and democratic state. The principles of religion, together with the principles of pioneering and Zionism, were the glue that united Jews from around the world who were persecuted and murdered. It is important to recognize the contribution of the religious and ultra-Orthodox, of all streams, in shaping the culture of the State of Israel. However, recognizing their contribution does not exempt them from the obligation derived from life in Israel.
It's time to say it without blurring: Orthodox leaders, by virtue of their religious authority, have increased their influence on Israeli politics and succeeded in getting the legislature to pass many laws that discriminate against other groups, including secular Jews, Muslims, Christians, and liberal religious factions.
The control of the Orthodox elite was out of balance. A certain faction of religious and ultra-Orthodox leadership has managed to take center stage at the moment, with its political status giving it the spotlight. Liberal society, meanwhile, is being relegated to wings and is expected not to resist.
This expectation was not created out of thin air. It has been nurtured by the groveling of liberal politicians, who have needed conservative parties to form coalitions over the years. For many years, we did not dare to touch the status quo and demand public transportation on the Sabbath, separation of church and state, reduction of the Rabbinate's monopoly.
We have closed our eyes to inequality, but recent times have challenged tolerance and eroded it to the brim. Orthodox leaders from a particular faction have changed the face of religious Zionism, justifying discrimination and disenfranchisement of entire groups by quoting partial Jewish texts. Such repression invites resistance.
Anyone who has studied core studies is familiar with one of Newton's laws of motion, which states that applying force to another body will lead that body to exert an equal – but opposite – force on the first body. To complain to those who repel the force exerted upon them is to deny the laws of physics.
Are we brotherly people?
The time has come to admit: we are neither brothers nor family, but citizens of the same country, with completely different values.
The narrative of the haredi leaders is sophisticated, and in light of its success, it has been adopted by other groups that joined them not in the name of faith, but because of unity of interests. They portray themselves as oppressed and undervalued, with the liberal public being "the bad," "intolerant of beliefs," "forgetting what it means to be Jewish." They cast themselves as victims, but this narrative oozes double standards.
The struggle in recent months has shown that liberal society is unwilling to accept the contempt and dismissal of religious and ultra-Orthodox leaders. This week, in a conversation with an ultra-Orthodox woman, I asked her if there was no fear in her community that if many left the State of Israel, there would be no one left to finance the unproductive population. She replied, "You'll always have millionaires left who can afford it." On the other hand, I hear more and more voices in ultra-Orthodox and religious society who understand that lines have been crossed, that damage to the social fabric harms them as well.
For years we created a false pretense of unity, but it was forbidden to talk about the price. The productive society, which includes Jews, Arabs, as well as religious and ultra-Orthodox Jews who work for a living, was required not only to understand but also to finance the spiritual and faith journey of a growing part of society. This is an anomaly that does not exist in any country in the world, where manufacturers fund such a large group of capable people, simply because of their faith.
Redefine the discussion
John Gray's book Men from Mars, Women from Venus, talks about sex differences, and demonstrates how to bridge those differences through communication. The productive society and the society that believes that spirituality is its productivity are two groups from different planets, unable to understand each other's point of view.
The gap is between those who believe that they are responsible for their livelihood and that they must contribute to the state and not just receive from it, and the group that seeks support and understanding from society, which believes that its role in preserving religious heritage justifies entitlement to receive economic and other resources, even at the expense of the welfare of the producers. In contrast to the gaps between women and men, here we are not talking about a biological difference, but rather a social structure that has been ingrained, assimilated and gives rise to resentment and conflict.
The sacrifice of the productive society does not achieve the goal, because every time we surrender "for the sake of unity" - the demands multiply. Just this week, for example, a bill was submitted "Basic Law: Torah Learning – Meaningful Service," which demands the same rights and protections as soldiers who served full service. This is not a demand for consideration, it is a statement that erases the recognition of the sacrifice of secular, religious, ultra-Orthodox, Arab, Circassian, Druze, Bedouin and Christian IDF soldiers. It's a spit in the face of parents, siblings and spouses who sacrificed the most precious of all.
The discussion must be redefined and the appropriation of the concepts of Judaism and religion by the Orthodox must be uprooted. Millions of people around the world are observant without giving up studying math. Have you visited New York, Antwerp or London? Haredi Jews with advanced degrees run successful businesses there, occupy senior positions, work alongside women, Christians and Muslims.
The connection between Judaism and religion and refraining from assimilating into society, while requiring that society to fund those who refrain, is local and circumstantial. How do you say? Only in Israel.
Learning from Maimonides
I want to thank you for a great thing that has happened to me in the last few months, called recreation. I regained the choice. I understood that the lack of interest in Judaism stemmed from the encounter with the business politicians who claim ownership of it as if it were their own.
So no. Judaism is also mine, I began to study this week's Torah portion from a secular feminist perspective, and I too find support for my Arab views among the great Jews of Judaism. For example, Maimonides, who says: "Whoever wishes on his heart to engage in Torah and earn a living from tzedakah is blaspheming God, degrading the Torah, and extinguishing the light of religion, and causing harm to himself."
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