When a few Haredi Jews set up a modesty committee we criticize them for imposing their style on others. We criticize them for religious coercion and the like.

I wonder why we never hear criticism when others do it?

I know - some will say we do not expect better from them... That is not a good answer. We should be fighting for their rights as well. We should be concerned about their development of a free society.

I just completed the book "The Case for Democracy" by Natan Sharansky. It is an amazingly refreshing book with bits of history both from the USSR-US Cold War and over years of negotiations and relationships between Israel-Palestinians and the US.

His main theory is the need for a free society rather than a fear society.

The Palestinians are living in a fear society. The only way they will better their lives is by moving to a free society, with our support. If we continue with the attitude that that is who they are and the way they live, nothing will ever improve in their quality of life.

We need to urge them to improve themselves and create a free society where incidents like these become not acceptable and criticize-able.