As an observant Jew I would love it if there were a government in Israel that would mandate that every aspect of Israeli society be subject to Halacha. Because in a democracy that would mean that this is what its citizens voted for. And I would take great pride in the fact that El Al, Egged, the phone company, all hospitals, and every other public venue were run according to Halacha. But the State of Israel is not religious currently. Should the Torah world do everything it can to see to it that Halacha is followed anyway?
In the realm of "Bein Adam L'Makon" there is no more important area than Shmiras Shabbos. Because this specific Mitzvah is what has always detemined the status of whether a Jew is observant or not. And in the public arena this is the Mitzvah that should be most fought for.
On that level I understand why there is such a push by to boycott El Al. This is perhaps the most visible symbol of Israel to the world. And it is indeed the envy of every other airline with respect to security.
But, boycotting it in pursuit of this lofty goal has its major drawbacks. One such drawback is Mamon Yisroel. Chazal seemed to be more concerned with that than we are today. Chazal had pity on its people and bent over backwards so as to prevent financial losses them. That principle seems to have gotten lost in our world today. So while it is perhaps laudable to promote the civil right of its citizens to boycott a business if it so chooses, it is not so laudable to ask the specific constituency that it is being demanded of to incur financial hardship. Yet this is what is being said in the name of Gedolei Yisroel by Charedi media arms like the Yated.
That crosses a line. And in fact it seems to be a lie. I spoke to an Israeli who told me that Rav Elyashiv did not Paskin that way. He said that if someone is in difficult financial circumstances he does not have to give up his tickets and incur financial loss. So once again it seems the Kanaaim are at work.
But there is another problem with the boycott in general that to me is a far greater one. It is issue of what our approach should be to secular Jews in Israel with respect to Mitzvah observance. Those who are in a position to influence the government to legislate Halacha should consider whether the net result of gain and loss is worth the gain. And then measure the boycott up against that standard.
On the one hand, getting the State of Israel to be more publicly observant is indeed a positive goal. And looked at in isolation, it is indeed a Kiddush HaShem. But is it real? Are there more secular Jews observing Shabbos when it is legislated?. My guess is that it is not. I very seriously doubt that any secular Jews observes Shabbos one iota more because the government has legislated it. One may ask, “So what?” At least the State of Israel is perceived as more religious. Isn’t that a Kiddush HaShem in any case? What is lost?
Well, something is lost! And what is lost is perhaps greater than what is gained.
And it has always been an issue in the Torah world as to whether it is a good idea to “shove religion down the throats” of secular Jews. And even if one thinks this is a good idea, what would be considered valid means to achieve it? Are any means OK? Are only certain means? Perhaps there is no justification at all to coercion if it has no real effect... if that would mean no greater observance by the secular Jew and just more resentment of the observant one.
Let us take the example often cited of protesting Chilul Shabbos in certain religious neighborhoods in Israel that have major thoroughfares passing through them. Bar Ilan street in Jerusalem is one such famous example from the not too distant past.
It is very understandable that the religious Jews of that neighborhood did not want their Shabbos to be violated by cars driving through it on Shabbos.
But to the secular Israeli who just wants to get from point A to point B... all he sees is an infringement on his rights. He doesn’t understand the concept of Kedushas Shabbos at all. He wasn’t raised that way. He may know about Shabbos in a general way but certainly does not understand or appreciate the deeper meaning or importance. So when he sees a group of Charedi Jews screaming and shouting at him in anger and blocking the street, he cannot help but feel resentment and anger. So while this fellow may have in the past just been indifferent to Charedim, he has been transformed into a Jew who is hateful of them. Instead of looking at Charedim as fervently religious Jews he sees a group of hooligans... a mob that is threatening him.
Such a protests usually work. The street gets closed. The people of that religious enclave get their Shabbos setting. But at what price? This Chiloni Jew has been turned into an enemy. So too his entire family and friends. There is a so called multiplier effect (to borrow an economics term) to every single driver encountering this mob of protestors. And of course the media has a field day with this blowing any violence by out of proportion, thus increasing the enmity even more. The human nature of the casual observer takes over. What happens is: guilt by association. All Charedim are like what is observed in the media. Any chance therefore, of being Mekarev these secular Jews gets significantly reduced. One cannot win over friends with vinegar. And secular Jews rarely see honey from the Charedi world with respect to Halacha, except occasionally on a one to one basis from a sympathetic Kiruv worker. What they do perceive is religious coercion in the form of Charedi tabbis forcing the government to enact religious legislation.
And this brings me back to the El Al boycott. Secular Jews in Israel see the “powerful Charedi lobby” asserting their will upon the people. They are forcing a national treasure, El Al, to capitulate to their demands.
In my view the negative consequences of the boycott are therefore far greater than the positive ones.
Yes, the boycott will very likely work. Israel will indeed have a national airline that is Shomer Shabbos... in name. But in practice, none of the employees will be, nor will the airline actually stop working on Shabbos on the ground. Aircraft will likely still undergo pre-flight checks and maintenance which almost certainly involves Chilul Shabbos D’Oraisa. And what is the perception of the Chiloni world? More religious coercion, more inconvenience, and not one iota more religious observance by a single Jew because of it. The enmity built up be the average secular Israel will almost certainly reduce the potential of their becoming religious. And The State of Israel will hardly be more observant as many government services like Egged busses will still run on Shabbos in certain areas.
So I question the real value of the boycott. Is it really worth it after all is said and done?
