No - I am not talking about Palestinians and Israelis. I am talking about Klal Yisroel and the rabble of Meah Shearim. I think we ought to finally submit to the will of the people in that neighborhood and let them have their own state. Yes Meah Shearim is worthy of that. Let them secede from Israel.
Of course one cannot predict how they will function as a society without the necessary services provided by a government, such as water and sanitation; health and welfare services; police and fire departments; - to name just a few vital services. But their rejection of the state of Israel is very clear. They are opposed to its existence. They do not vote nor take any government assistance at all.
They operate as though the Government doesn’t exist. And if they don’t like something - they riot. Giving them their own state is perhaps only a half a loaf for them but at least they will not have to suffer the indignities of an anti Frum government harassing them all the time.
The fact that none of their people is properly trained to run any of these institutions should not be an issue for them. Meah Shearim can easily federate with the Palestinians or Jordan. I know that is preferable to them theologically even if the Israeli government was completely religious - since they believe that God Himself is opposed to Jewish control of Eretz Israel until the advent of the Messiah.
Until then they believe we ought to let the Umos HaOlam – the nations of the world have it. That’s why one of their factions travels to Iran and kisses its leader who has called for the destruction of the State. True – that faction is an extremist group that even their own community has rejected. But the theology is the same. None of those people believe that any Jewish State is permitted Halachicly.
Give them Meah Shearim. They can then keep all their parking lots closed on Shabbos and bar anyone from entering that is not in accordance with their Tznius standards. They can provide their own health care system where no Charedi mother will ever be falsely accused again. Nor will they ever have to endure another autopsy.
As things stand now - they act as though there is no state anyway. They continue to run the show as they see fit! Any issue that comes before them is rarely if ever handled in a civilized way. Everything is met with violence. Even as recently as yesterday and the day before.
Consider the following:
The protest of a Jerusalem parking lot opening on Shabbos was more violent than ever:
The latest protests are reportedly more violent than usual and have drawn numerous teenagers and children. Several vehicles traveling on the road leading to the parking lot were attacked by haredim who pounded the cars, while others hurled stones, eggs and plastic bottles at police, secular protestors, and journalists.
This followed another violent protest last week where a Charedi protestor threw himself under a car:
An ultra-Orthodox Jew threw himself under the wheels of idling car and was moderately injured Saturday during a protest against the operation of a Jerusalem parking garage on the Jewish Sabbath, police said.
And then there was this little exercise yesterday to prevent an autopsy:
The crime scene in Jerusalem's Geula neighborhood has turned into a battleground between police and haredim. A few dozen ultra-Orthodox people threw stones at police officers dispatched to the hostel on Tsfaniya Street, where a 50-year-old man was murdered Sunday night during a fight.
In the Mea Shearim neighborhood intense clashes broke out between the two sides. Haredim threw stones and metal objects at police officers, who responded with stun grenades. Eight police officers and an ultra-Orthodox man were lightly wounded. Three police officers were evacuated to the hospital for medical attention. The rest of the wounded were treated by ambulance crews on the spot. Damage was caused to a police patrol car and two motorcycles.
Haredim started fires at a number of different locations throughout the city. A police cruiser was set ablaze on David Yellin Street. The cruiser was parked there as its police passengers investigated Sunday's murder. Police believe that haredi protesters are behind the arson. No one was injured in the incident.
Haredim tried to set fire to the welfare bureau on Yehezkel Street, however, a police force on site prevented this. A haredi man was arrested while throwing stones at the welfare bureau building.
Of course the defenders of this bunch will say that all they were doing was preventing an autopsy from occurring. Violent protests is the only way the government will listen. Police in Israel automatically do one in criminal murder cases. Autopsies are generally Halachicly forbidden because of the prohibition of Nivul HaMes. A dead body may not be tampered with and must be buried intact.
What many people do not realize is that autopsies are not always automatically Assur. There are times and ways that it is permitted. But there is a blanket presumption that when the government is involved it will not be conducted in accordance with Halacha. So all autopsies are always protested.
I do not know the details of ‘Hilchos autopsies’. But it doesn’t matter. These savages did far worse than desecrate a corpse. Their acts in this regard and in every issue dealing with the government ends up painting religious Jews as savages not much more civilized than prehistoric man. That in the past issues like this have been successfully negotiated between various religious leaders and the government is immaterial to the protesters.
As I have pointed out on numerous occasions, the leadership in Meah Shearim does precious little to prevent violence. In fact the opposite is true. The protests are increasingly more numerous and more violent.
As far as I am concerned they are all responsible - the rabble who actually does the rioting and their leadership who at best look the other way while feigning disapproval thus encouraging the violence.
I used to think that vehement protests by Gedolim of all other Orthodox enclaves – perhaps even ostracizing them - might knock some sense into their collective heads. I’m still not entirely convinced that it won’t.
Meanwhilet I am becoming more convinced than ever that the Meah Shearim crowd is an Am B’Fnei Atzmam – a people unto themselves. They reject the State of Israel and all its institutions? Fine. Give them their own State - let them secede.
Let us cut off this plague from our midst once and for all. They can have their own country. They can call it Palestine… or whatever they want. Then their primitive savagery will be self contained and they can live the pure and pristine lives they strive for without ever encountering any interference from the ‘evil authorities’ again!
