Moshe Gafni's double-speak

On the one hand Moshe Gafni has been working overtime to convince the people he calls "the new charedim" or "the working charedim", as if they need to be defined as a separate sector of people, that he will work on their behalf, he will take their needs into account, he will promote them and their needs and do what he can to help better their lives.

On the other hand, really it is the same hand but it is another point, he complains that the government does not do enough to help charedim integrate into the workplace and help them get jobs. Gafni says there is discrimination against charedim, and a charedi who applies for a job will more likely than not be turned away.

On yet another hand, yes - the third hand, Gafni now scoffs at such programs that are designed to help charedim get that education and training they need so that they can apply for jobs with a better chance of success.

The government just approved and earmarked 180,000,000 NIS to make academic programs of higher learning, i.e. college degrees, more accessible to charedim.

Gafni, in an interview to Yated (referenced in NRG), responded to the new program by saying the craze for academic degrees is idol worship. It causes damage to the child, to the system and to everybody, with no benefit... Gafni said "there is no need for this, and the demand for it is completely superfluous. Whoever in this country wants an academic degree, we do not mix into what is connected to them, but we do not need these degrees...  they should not mix into our lives [by requiring degrees for teaching in the fields of languages], they can do what they want by them. The facts show that by us the educational system has succeeded in all these fields, and by them it has not been so successful. I know some with degrees that are not worth anything from a professional perspective, and others with no degrees who are worth much more."

1. His final statement is nothing new. Just because somebody gets a degree does not mean he will be more professional or talented. And just because someone does not get a degree does not mean he is not talented enough to succeed anyway. Both sides of this coin are true. But for most people, getting the appropriate education helps them succeed in whatever field it is that they want to go into.

2. they should stay out of our business, and they can do whatever they want by them. - is that why UTJ protests when "they" want bus lines operating on Shabbos in completely secular areas? is that why UTJ protests when "they" open a parking lot for people who drive on Shabbos? Is that why UTJ continues to oppose the creation of a system of civil marriage and burial? what about secular who want to eat/sell chametz on Pesach, in the heart of Tel Aviv? since when does UTJ not mix in to the lives of the other people?

3. all those "new charedim" and "working charedim" who think Gafni is trying to help you - don't be fooled. Gafni is against helping you get a degree or certification. He is against making it easier for you to get the job you want. He thinks you should remain untrained and uneducated and just expect to get and keep the job simply because you asked for it.

Which is it, Moshe Gafni? Which side are you really on?

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