The news headlines are shocking the readership with revelations of a concerted effort by secular residents in the neighborhoods of North Tel Aviv to keep out Haredim - they are working to encourage residents to not sell or rent homes to potential Haredi residents. Specifically, it seems some Chabadniks are trying to move in and to ramp up their "kiruv" efforts in the area, and the efforts are described as general "Haredim" but is really against these Chabadniks.

Everyone is shocked, and all the Haredi websites are discussing how this is racist, discriminatory, shameful, hateful, etc. Things like "replace "haredim" with "Jews" and what would you say?" Things like "you will let Arabs move in but not Haredim". And the like.

As I have said before, in a free democratic society, everyone is, and should be, able to buy or rent homes wherever they want and live wherever they want. I, however, do not get excited by the secular trying to keep the Haredim out of their neighborhoods, especially when those Haredim have ulterior motives of trying to do kiruv on the local residents and change their lifestyles, when the Haredi residents of Haredi neighborhoods do the exact same thing in the opposite direction. They get together to ensure that secular, or even other types of religious, people cannot move in, and if they do they expend great efforts to pressure them to move out. Neither should happen, but both do, and the crocodile tears do not impress me. If it is ok in one direction, it is just as ok in the other direction, though in truth neither is ok, even if both are understandable..