Daniel Gordis's dire prediction sounds sadly familiar
Ever since we first visited Israel in 1978, my husband's been predicting that, if there were ever peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors, there would be civil war among Israeli Jews. In my opinion, only the sides have changed--whereas my husband predicted war between the datiyim (religious) and the chilonim (secular), I predict that a civil war, if it came to pass, would be between the most extreme of the chareidim (fervently religious) and everyone else. Not even the Dati Leumi (Religious Zionist) community is going to put up and shut up forever as their women are beaten up for riding in the front of so-called "mehadrin" (sex-segregated) buses, their daughters are threatened for walking through the "wrong" neighborbood accompanied by male friends who are walking on the other side of the street, and their rabbis' conversions are declared invalid.
3 Comments:
If the war is between the charedim and everyone else I'd expect it to be over quickly. Charedim don't serve in the army and aren't armed. Only if the Chardal (charedi zionists) get involved on the side of the charedim will we get a war that might threaten the existence of the state.
And frankly, that is the war I considered more likely - a war between the settler movement and the people who live inside the Green line. And that war has the potential to split the army and thus turn into a real sustained conflict. Let us pray we find a way to save us from ourselves.
I wrote to the Israeli folks on my blogger-email Contacts list, saying that I thought I'd opened a can of worms. Thus far, I've gotten one reply via e-mail (don't know whether the blogger in question wishes to be identified): "Can of worms" applies if a wild debate has already started. Not the case. You are trying to open one.
:)"
Daniel Gordis points out some troubling aspects of Israeli society - but he greatly exagerates the threat of civil war. Israelis are very "in your face" and in some cases, they burn garbage bins and throw rocks. Noone has been killed from these activities though. More Israelis are killed every year from traffic accidents then any other cause, including wars and terrorism. If he wants to rant against something, let him take up this topic.
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