Monday, February 23, 2009

The Spiritual Holocaust in Israel

I know that many Charedim will deny it. And I’m sure that a great many of them do not have this attitude. But I think it is fairly obvious how a great many of them do in fact think. The following statements show it very clearly.

As in the survivors of the Kastner train, do they owe the nazis hakoras hatov? Now what about towards the state of Israel?... We don't owe them anything. We were existing before them. We didn't ask them to create a state

They were made and repeatedly referred to by a fellow who is clearly a member of the Charedi world. He thinks he is valiantly defending it. I would have normally deleted these remarks. They are not worthy of a response no matter how many times this fellow protests that they are. I posted them to show exactly what I am fighting.

As I indicated many Charedim will in fact be outraged by his statements. Some just as outraged as I am. And others not quite as outraged - but outraged nonetheless. But this fellow reflects the definite mindset of a sizable number of Charedim who are the products of an indoctrination of hatred for the State of Israel - instead of teaching them to have the Hakaras HaTov for it that it deserves. At the very least there should be Hakaras HaTov for the blood that was shed by Israel's young so all Israelis - religious or not - can live in relative peace and security and lead their lives the way they wish.

He is not a lone wolf or a member of a small group of people who are the 'exceptions that would prove the rule'. That was made painfully clear by R’ Elaya Weintraub, a Charedi rabbinic leader. He infamously condemned any partnership between Charedim and secular Jews via the ‘adopt a soldier’ program where an individual Charedi would ‘adopt’ an individual secular soldier and pray for his safety.

He is one of many Charedi rabbinic leaders who indoctrinate their students in this way. It is an indoctrination of hatred akin to hatred of Nazis. They call what secular Israelis do - a Holocaust too - a spiritual one that is worse than the Holocaust itself!

What this poster child and a few other like him have failed to learn - but many other others who harbor these beliefs have learned -is how to keep their mouths shut and not spill the beans to the rest of us. They do not want the rest of the world to know what they really think. That's obvious from when R' Elya's defenders say things like 'R' Elya never meant his statements for public consumption'. Of course he didn't! Can't let those beans spill!

Most Charedim who genuinely disagree with this mentality will rightly protest his words. Some will protest what he said but allow that this mentality has to be understood. Still others will quietly agree with him but will outwardly protest what he said - just to try and save face. They will deny deny deny that any genuine Charedi feels this way. But the mask is off. The truth is that these particular Charedim - let's call them the R' Elya Charedim - see the Israeli Government as worse than Nazis because their ‘holocaust’ against the Jews is spiritual!

It pains me to say it - but it is the truth. This fellow is the poster child for that mentality no matter how he tries to explain it away. The truth stands out like a bad pimple on smooth skin.