May 16, 2013

Haredim against haredim seems to be ok

When MK Mickey Levy (Yesh Atid) recently called, from the Knesset podium, Haredim 'parasites', there was an uproar, in the press, but especially in the haredi press and in the haredi communities. Rightfully so. there is no room for such talk and for such vitriol to be spewed, in addition to the possibility of it leading to violence - dehumanizing groups by calling them such names is the beginning of the path to violence.

Yet, when some haredi groups attack other haredi groups with similar names, such as the current ongoing campaign by some in the more extreme end of the haredi camp, calling people vermin (chardak), nobody seems to say a word. I have yet to see a movement in the haredi camp to put an end to these attacks. They are just as vile, and the fact that they are not made from the Knesset podium makes them no less vile. They are in the walls and the floors of haredi neighborhoods, and the askanim should be putting an end to it. It seems they only care about such vitriol from the outside, but not from within. Yet, the vitriol from within has already led to violence.

According to news reports, the phenomenon of haredim physically attacking haredi soldiers is increasing. the army is trying to fight the phenomenon by involving the rabbonim and trying to get them to denounce it. As well, a volunteer haredi policeman from Bnei Braq has also publicized the increased attacks against him, largely by kids, and against other haredi policemen.

While perhaps initially the thought might have been to ignore it, as it looked like a stupid campaign that would eventually go away, those behind it have persisted. They keep printing and distributing more and more of these, and the name is becoming commonly used and well-known. And violence is increasing because of it.

This campaign is vile and it should be stopped immediately. The silence about it from the haredi politicians, press and askanim is disappointing.







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6 comments:

  1. Miki Levy's remark was not made in the knesset, but rather in a radio interview:
    http://news.walla.co.il/?w=/2686/2635972

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  2. you are correct. no difference, except to perhaps even strengthen my point - levy's coment was as external as this narishkeit

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  3. this morning on kol b'rama, mordechai levi wouldn't allow any discussion of what some eida rav (rosenburg???) said about rav steinneman. one of the talking heads wanted to, but levi silenced him.

    all this stuff is politics and nothing more than that.

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  4. so perhaps when people from the general public uses such derogatory terms, which they shouldnt, and they get called on it and demands are made for an apology, they should first "call their bluff" and mention the vile terms being used within th eharedi community itself and demand a better level of discussion all around.

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  5. Rafi - you're shocked by the vile name-calling in Chareidi media? Where have you been? This has been standard procedure for Chareidi media against all whom they disagree with for decades. I don't allow Yated or Chadash into my house because of this language. It's only when it's aimed at them that Chareidim seem to have an issue with it.

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  6. This tactic makes perfect sense from the Charedi point of view.

    1) Demonize any Charedi that succumbs to army and/or to meaningful education.
    2) Some percentage of those Charedim (that serve in army and/or get a meaningful education) get tired of being demonized and leave Charedism.
    3) Demonize the remaining ones even more severely.
    4) More of them leave Charedism.
    5) Charedi leaders can say triumphantly "See, going to the army or getting a meaningful education leads to going off-the-derech."

    ReplyDelete