The Wrong Stuff

Protesting Charedi students (screenshot)

Once again, we are being subjected to the spectacle of young Charedi students in Israel protesting the arrest of a draft dodger. In what looks like hundreds of Yeshiva students blocking traffic, we see the police responding by - among other things, firing water cannons at them. If this is supposed to make me outraged at police tactics against religious Jews, it isn’t working. In fact it is having the opposite effect on me.

This is yet another in a series of Charedi protests that can only be characterized as a Chilul Hashem. It not only makes young religious Jews look like hoodlums in the eyes of the world, it makes them look that way even to other religious Jews. Especially those whose cars are in traffic being blocked by these young fools.

I realize that my words will never be heard by people that might have some influence on these protesters. But the truth has to be told. The world has to hear that this is not Judaism. And by world I include religious Jews who might think they have a right to express their ideals in protest when they are counteracted by government fiat. 

Sure. They have that right in a free country like Israel. But not at the expense of others. And not when by doing so they perpetuate negative images about the Charedi world. Which this protest clearly does. Especially when some of those protesters are caught smirking at the police. As though this was all one big game or joke. Well, it may seem funny to them. But it is not funny to me. And certainly not to the people stuck in traffic they have blocked.

Just to be clear, these young protesters are very likely from the Jerusalem faction, which was founded by the late rabbinic leader R’ Shmuel Auerbach. It is a faction that chooses to fight the government even when they make reasonable demands. Most young Charedi students and their Roshei Yeshiva do not belong to this faction They are not involved in any way and are nothing like this. I’m pretty sure they are just as appalled as I am. But that doesn’t absolve them of the responsibility of trying to do something about it.

Now I’m sure that some Charedi rabbinic leaders and Roshei Yeshiva have spoken out against such things in the past and have made public condemnations about them. But that clearly has not been enough. And that is where things break down. Because their condemnations not only don’t stop them, in at least one case I recall, they had actually succeeded in accomplishing the protest goal of getting the arrested draft dodger released.

That is what needs to change. They have to stop helping them achieve their goal and do more than make public condemnations. I am not talking about physical confrontation, God forbid. That would be like pouring gasoline onto a fire. Making things infinitely worse, not to mention the very real possibility that people will get hurt. Which is the last thing I want. I am talking about supporting the authorities here. And advocating a solution that in my view will be the only thing that has the slightest chance of success in ending this kind of thing.

I would urge the police to arrest every single protester the next time this happens. And there will be a next time. The maximum sentences allowed by law should be implemented. 

I’m sure leaders of the Jerusalem faction will cry foul and accuse the Israeli authorities of being anti Charedi. They will surely turn to their fellow Roshei Yeshiva that oppose them - to nevertheless help them out. And that is where any attempts to try and prevent them doing it again always fail. The protesting students are instead encouraged to keep doing it since they know help is on the way in getting them get out of jail. Or out of any other sanctions issued against them. Or in trying to get the arrested draft dodger out thereby accomplishing their goal for them.

Instead of Charedi  leaders trying to get the draft dodger released they ought to publicly back  the authorities and support the sentence. 

That they haven’t done that is why there will always be a next time. But there shouldn’t be. Instead they ought to applaud the police for doing their jobs. And make sure that draft dodger stays put until his jail sentence ends. Once the Jerusalem faction realizes that they have no friends under circumstances like these - and will therefore never get their way using these tactics, they might reconsider using them again. 

Until that happens the Chilul HaShem will continue. And in the process even the good guys will be tainted. Because when the public sees black hatted students doing this, they do not necessarily realize it is only a minority faction albeit a sizeable one. Thus painting all black hatted students the same negative way. Wouldn’t it be smarter to put a stop to this by playing hardball for a change? 

I think it would.