The recent tragedies in Meron and Givat Ze’ev, which took the lives of 47 and injured hundreds, drew international sympathy and aid but also a disturbing amount of sinat hinam, baseless hatred. Social media posts like those titled “they asked for it” and articles toting cynical “aha!” tones – as the blood of innocents pooled upon disastrous grounds – seemed far too casual and careless than what the subject matter ordinarily demands. We have a major societal disconnect.
These disasters hint to a broader national issue that’s been brewing since the birth of the state: large segments of the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population who show total disregard for Israel’s legitimacy and authority, all the while shamelessly reaping the benefits of a Jewish state that’s always protected haredi interests. Yet, their leadership perpetuates a self-defeating “defensive” insularity.
This self-imposed disenfranchisement comes in many forms.One issue, catalyst of the recent tragedies, is the total disregard for Israeli laws among some haredi blocs, particularly construction and occupancy regulations. There’s been such a senseless loss of life because of the hakhasha (ignorance) of community leaders and event organizers who repeatedly neglect basic safety measures.
The self-exclusion of haredim from the general workforce presents another controversy. Though haredi employment has recently increased, a strong unwillingness to work along with a lack of appropriate job opportunities are partly why one-in-four haredi children go to bed hungry.
Approximately 50% of haredi men and 77% of haredi women are employed compared to 90% and 80% of other Jews respectively. With an annual growth rate of 4%, compared to 1.4% among other Jews, the haredi population is projected to double within 15 years. This looming demographic threat will overload National Insurance and charities.
The next debate classically remains mandatory national service. Realistically, the military doesn’t need haredim to serve, and accommodating them would prove more costly than beneficial. This debate, however, reflects the fundamental ideal of mutual responsibility in building and protecting the Jewish state, something the haredi sector has made little attempt to assume.
The latest show of chutzpah was the blatant non-compliance of the haredi community with COVID-19 guidelines. As secular schools shuttered, yeshivot bustled. As memorial ceremonies were sparse and minimal, consistently crowded haredi events sent a clear message: we don’t play by your rules.
There is serious cognitive dissonance in the haredi mindset. On one hand, they’re dedicated to God and must abide by His laws. On the other hand, they rationalize defiance of Israeli laws and norms, justified by their perception of the state as secularized and therefore illegitimate – though legitimate enough for them to partake in the minimum extent needed to secure their interests.
I am a simple Orthodox Jew, and not one to lecture. But what are we to make of the principle in our Shulhan Aruch of dina d’malchuta dina, that the law of the land is the law? Is this to be applied selectively and arbitrarily? On what halachic grounds can a rabbi justify Jews maintaining good-standing in the diaspora even where governments can be hostile while refuting every rule in a Jewish state simply because the government isn’t theocratic? How can a secular Jewish state possibly deserve less respect than non-Jewish ones?
The bottom line is that this unspoken arrangement is unsustainable. The fabric of our society is stretching, and unless resewn properly, it will tear. Patches are temporary. An enduring fix is needed.
It’s difficult not to think of the bright young souls snuffed because of human arrogance and stupidity and not question what should’ve been done differently. But if we do, Israeli society at large needs to be examined. For how can we cite haredi disregard for authority if we don’t account for a similar, but cynical, disregard for the very same authority prevalent in most sectors of Israeli society? Combinot (back-room deals) and proteksia (personal connections) have become synonymous with street smarts and networking. Israelis in every field mustn’t look too far to find the loopholes to circumvent the bureaucracy in their paths. Fear of being a fryer runs all too deep in our society. So, any hateful finger pointing can be returned to its sender.
To our haredi siblings, it’s time to accept that survival on handouts isn’t viable. The need to earn one’s own bread isn’t a secular principle but advice found throughout the Torah.
There already exists a growing movement of haredim who are willing to work, with many businesses and organizations poised to comfortably integrate them. We must keep making such jobs accessible.
We must devise a sustainable method of national service. Life in the Middle East is too complicated to allow vast segments of our population to be passive observers. Every single citizen needs to pull their weight for the state that, with God’s help, gave us all shelter from the Nazis, antisemitism and terrorism to this very day. We must find a way, together, to help haredim contribute – se’u et rosh (literally: raise one’s head).
Haredim, as well as most every sector of Israeli society, must renew their commitment to our social contract by adhering to the law.
The reactions of too many secular Israelis to the recent gut-wrenching tragedies have been apathetic at best and scornfully malicious at worst.
To our secular siblings, don’t forget your brethren whose face is obstructed by the barriers that were originally built to protect their ideals. Don’t mistake their intentions for religious crusades as against your beliefs. It’s time we started approaching “haredi issues’’ as “our issues,” because they are.
Kol Yisrael arevim zeh la’zeh (all the people of Israel are responsible one for another) exists not only as an ethical proverb, but as a law of physics, economics and social psychology.
The flipside of this coin is that haredim must also begin to see themselves as part of this collective.
The writer made aliyah from New York in 2015 to enlist in the IDF. He is an undergraduate whose major is Government and the Argov Fellow in Leadership and Diplomacy at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. He volunteers with lone soldiers and does Israel advocacy.