I don’t understand why the LA Times runs stuff like this. Stanley Gold is the head of a group that is all for diversity in Israeli society, which sounds good, so am I. Its bugaboo is ultra-Orthodox power, which is transforming Israeli culture. Here is his piece in the LA Times:
Privileging a small minority with state funding and granting them disproportionate influence over rituals related to marriage, conversion and other aspects of daily life run completely counter to principles embodied in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, which says that "the state of Israel … will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex." For decades, the politicians who are dependent on ultra-Orthodox blocs of voters have sanctioned and supported a system that not only benefits a minority of Israelis but is a serious detriment to Israel’s social and economic fabric. That is morally repugnant.
This piece is not helpful. Yes these are real issues and important tensions inside Israeli society. They are why the seculars are fleeing to the Upper West Side to pursue the American dream.
But how does it serve an American readership to be told that this is The Issue of diversity in Israeli society; it doesn’t. Gold is a Beverly Hills businessman and an Israel lobbyist in good standing. He obviously cares about what Israel is becoming. But how can you talk seriously about the Israeli Declaration of Independence without pointing out its vast hypocrisy with respect to Palestinians? It would be like running a piece during Jim Crow era saying that the big tension in southern society is a class tension between white industrial workers and the wealthy factory owners. I’m sure there were real tensions like that back then. How important were they next to racial segregation?
The issue in Israel is, It’s not a democracy. They would never elect Barack Obama, though their religious/ethnic minority– Palestinians– makes up 20 percent of the population (and Obama’s minority here is only 15 percent or so). And the proof of this is simple. The Jewish parties refuse to negotiate with Arab parties and make them part of their coalitions. When push comes to shove, the Orthodox and the secular Jews get together. The Jewish secular parties would rather make a ruling combination with rightwing religious parties than EVER give power to an Arab party. That’s how Barak did it in 1999. It’s how Netanyahu did it this year. They take rightwing Jewish splinter groups in but never a Palestinian party. Has the LA Times ever done a story about that?
P.S. My tipster completely disagrees with me. John writes:
Stanley Gold has revealed another aspect of Israeli society (and the Jewish
community) which is little understood by average Americans. The article is
excellently written and I commend the author for his honest reporting of how
ultra-Orthodox fundamentalists (Haredim) in Israel are affecting policy out
of all proportion to their numbers, just like religious fundamentalists in
the U.S. are doing. When you read that 2/3rds of ultra-Orthodox men don’t
work and are subsidized by the state of Israel to the tune of $1.3 billion a
year, it casts a new light on where all those billions which Uncle Sam gives
Israel are actually going. Then you find out that Israel is financing a
separate bus system for the Haredim because they want to avoid other
people!?. Gold finishes his column by saying that funding of this small
minority has created a "serious detriment to Israel’s social and economic
fabric" that is "morally repugnant" (my paraphrasing might be a bit off
here).
