Two journalists liken Israel’s radical settlers and its orthodox haredim to the Taliban.
Antony Loewenstein, Aussie anti-Zio:
The aim of these extremists is to establish a Taliban-style, rabbinical
state to replace the current “secular” Israel. It may seem like a
pipedream to most — not least the vast majority of Israelis who oppose
the occupation project — but the attempt to uproot any major settlement
blocs will incur a vicious response. A civil war between the state and
radical Zionists is not unlikely in the years to come. And Israel will
only have itself to blame.
One hotly debated example of ultra-orthodox assertiveness came
during a ceremony marking the opening of a bridge in June. The
organisers had asked a troupe of girls aged between 13 and 16 to
perform a dance routine, but shortly before the show Jerusalem’s
ultra-orthodox deputy mayor intervened. Denouncing the planned dance as
“promiscuous”, he ordered the dancers to cut out certain moves and wear
demure robes that conformed to the Haredi modesty code.
Small as
it was, the affair provoked a national outcry. Commentators spoke of
the ultra-orthodox “Taliban”, comparing the strictures imposed by the
Jerusalem town hall to the hardline views of Islamic fundamentalists in
Afghanistan and Iran.
Controversy returned a few weeks later when
Gordon Brown, the British prime minister, gave a speech to the Knesset,
Israel’s parliament. So as not to offend ultra-orthodox deputies, the
choir that
by a “demographics committee”….Residents
say Beitar is patrolled by a self-styled “modesty police”, which
bullies youngsters to toe the line… David Biton, a 19-year old trainee
baker who lives with his parents in Beitar Illit, says he was beaten up
by two ultra-orthodox men recently after being seen chatting to girls.
“I tried to put together a group of youngsters to testify against them
but everyone was too afraid,” he says.
My only question: What is happening in Israel? And why is it taking the U.S. so long to cotton to it?
